Reading Memorial High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Reading, MA)

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30 THE PIONEER. But of one thing I am sure that if, when Aunt Jane sets the next date for her arrival, if it he a wash day I shall not take the trouble that I did this time, for even Aunt Jane’s inucndoes and sneers are preferable to such another day as that. A. D. E. A WORD OF ADVICE. “I’m getlin ' old—an’ that’s a fact, It ' s queer how time does fly, A mail don’t quite learn how to live Before he has to die. “But gettin’ old and bein ' old Are two quite different things, An ' any man that’s got good health Aint sighin’ after wings. “So keep your health, good friends, I say, No matter what the cost, The time and money spent that way, You ' ll find is never lost.” A VISIT TO A ROMAN CAMP. (Selected from Class Work.) One morning, the first rays of the sun stealing through my closed blinds, found me seated at a small table, earnestly studying the Ctesar lesson for the day ; the text had been nearly mastered and all the difficult construc¬ tions explained, when, yielding to an irrisist- ible impulse to let my head drop, sleep soon overpowered me. Under the influence of that mysterious power that had closed my eyes, I was transported, in my thoughts, to that part of Gaul and to those scenes of mili¬ tary activity of which I had been reading. I saw before me a smooth hill, on the gently sloping side of which was an exten¬ sive encampment, with its rear on the sum¬ mit and before its front, a portion of the de¬ scent. On its westerly side was a small stream and behind, were woods. The camp, which was rectangular in shape, was well fortitied by a wall or rampart of earth strengthened by logs and bundles of brush extending entirely around it. On the top of the rampart, with wide gaps be¬ tween, were placed pinnacles, and at inter¬ vals, towers of wood. At the foot of the wall was a ditch or fossa, I should judge about nine feet in width and seven in depth, with sloping sides. I recognized before me a Roman camp, the exact counterpart of the one of which I had been studying in the early morning. While looking for an entrance, in the hope of ob¬ taining admission, I heard voices, and pres¬ ently two men came into sight, one of whom as I afterwards found out, was Titus Labi- enus, a legatus of Caesar ; the other I inferred was a Gaul recently enrolled in the service of the Roman army. The two men, speaking in the Latin tongue, were interestedly engaged in conver¬ sation, and, my attention being attracted, I found to my great delight, that I could un¬ derstand what they said. Taking my Ctesar note-book, which was already well-tilled with Latin discourses and the results of my inductive work, I record ed the substance of their remarks which, when translated are something as follows : Labienus was saying, “Yes, this is the favorite position for a Roman camp, on the side of a hill, loco super- iore, where wood and water, both so essen¬ tial to the soldiers, arc near at hand; but suppose we enter now, here by this gate, which we call the porta principalis sinistra.” Accordingly the two went in, I, having received permission, following. When we entered, 1 found myself on a broad street, which 1 afterwards learned was the via prin¬ cipally, whence I could look over the entire camp. Men were mounting the wall by means of steps made of brush. Around the camp and at the foot of the rampart, was a thoroughfare more than a hundred feet wide. On each side of the street on which I stood

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THE PIONEER. 29 I had decided that vanilla custard would he the only thing available and brought out my materials, when I discovered that the vanilla bottle was nowhere to be found. After a protracted search it was found scattered around behind the flour barrel, having fallen from the shelf and broken. As I was minus vanilla I had to take lemon, and snatching 7 c the bottle for fear that it might get away, I hastily turned out a tea spoonful and then set it away. I had been in hopes that the washerwoman would arrive early, but luck was against me and it was eight before she appeared with a strong aroma of whiskey clinging to her dress to inform me in unsteady tones that little Tommy had turned the faucets and tilled the tub with cold water and it would be half an hour before she could begin. Smothering a strong inclination to cry I told her to begin as soon as she could and went to get the custard to hake it. Upon entering the pantry I saw a furry tail disappear through the open window and a plate fly onto the floor. On further inves¬ tigation I found that the family cat had taken a mean advantage of the open window to steal in and get on the outside of the plate of carefully reserved ham. But if in her flight she had not knocked a cupful of yeast into the custard I would not have felt so bad, but this was the unkindest cut of all. It seemed to me that the family reputation was lost, for I well knew that Aunt Jane would note all defects and noise them abroad, supple¬ menting in a pitying tone “I always told James that Louisa Jones wouldn’t be no kind of a manager, none of them Jones’s ever was.” But I put a brave face on for I knew that my action must be prompt and I must not lose my wits at this critical moment, so I resolved to go down town, buy a spring chicken (how many springs better be left unsaid) and some fruit (which would probably be stale) for dessert, so I swiftly put on my hat and jacket and started. I purchased the chicken (called so by courtesy only) and the fruit and was returning home thinking that my difBculties were beginning to lessen when the clock in the church near by struck ten. This startled me so that I almost dropped my basket, for this was the time at which the carriage should have been sent. Visions of Aunt Jane sitting up in awful dignity waiting tor the carriage, and the thinly veiled contempt with which she would regard the excuse for leaving her which I should be obliged to make in order to pre¬ pare dinner, poured in upon me until I would fain have found a hole, crawled into it and let Aunt Jane shift for herself. But I did not give up to these reflections long, the car¬ riage must get there sometime, so I hurried home and ordered the horse harnessed. With a sigh of relief I saw the horse trot¬ ting down the walk ten minutes later, and turning from the window I sat about fixing the chicken. The morning wore on, the washerwoman cleared up and departed, the chicken roasted in the oven and I had time to cool my heated face and tidy my dis¬ hevelled hair. Eleven struck and then the half hour, by this time I was getting worried, visions of John’s being drunk and letting the horse run away flashed through my brain when to add to my fears the bell was rung and a telegram was handed me. I paid the boy and col¬ lapsed into the nearest chair to read. It read thus :— Detained on account of Bobby’s illness. Expect us next week. Wicked as it may seem I was so thankful when Bobby’s illness took a turn for the worse and prevented Aunt Jane from leaving him for a month, that I wished I could find some way in which to celebrate the joyful occasion.

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THE PIONEER. 31 were tents of the shape of huts, made of skins or leather. “It must take several days to build such a camp as this,” said the Gaul, “I should think it a waste of the soldiers’ strength, and they will need all the energy that they have in a few days, if I am not mistaken.” (Dear me, thought I, 1 hope they arc not going to have a battle !) “You are much mistaken,” replied the Roman, “It takes only about four hours to build such a camp as this, and it is part of our system of discipline to keep the soldiers at work most of the time.” (Perhaps after all, the life of the Roman soldier is more irk¬ some than that of the boy or girl who is obliged to read about him in Ca?sar, thought I.) “You will notice” continued Labienus, “that the part upon the left of this street is one of the great sections of the camp. It is called the praetentura. ” “Who occupies the tents next the wall, and what is the name of this street which divides the praetentura into two parts?” “ The street which forms the divisions, my friend, is the via praetoria. In the tents next the wall are stationed the cohorts of which I told you, about one tenth on each side. In the centre of the division are the horsemen, one fourth on each side, with the archers and slingers, and these tents next the via principalis are occupied by myself and brother legati with the tribuni mililum. Let us enter one of them and I will introduce you to some of your superior officers.” I was left alone. The via praetoria must lead to the centre of the camp,” thought I, I would follow it. Presently I entered a large enclosure, which was evidently in the middle of one of the sections of the camp, for on each side were tents, arranged much like those of the praetentura. In this wide space I saw altars and several large tents, which I thought might be occupied by the commander-in-chief and his aids. But in the hope of finding some one to explain what I saw around me, I retraced my steps, and had proceeded but a short distance, when I came upon my for¬ mer companions. “Yes,” said Labienus, “ this is the mid- camp, the latera praetorii. The tents which you see on your left are those of the cohorts and horsemen. On the right of the camp are similar ones, and in the centre is the praetorium , occupied by the general and his staff. ” We soon entered another road which I learned from my companions was the via quintana, and I saw more tents and another space rather smaller than the former one. “And who is stationed in this section, which I believe you said was the retenturaV asked the Gaul. “I am impatient to see the quarters of my companions. ” “This enclosure is the quaestorium where the quaestor has his quarters, and these tents are occupied by the infantry and auxiliaries. Here we shall find your countrymen. Unless you wish to see the captives which are sta¬ tioned by this gate, we will goto them now.” “But, first, tell me how many gates there are.” “Four, the porta praetoria in front, the porta principalis dextra, and the porta prin¬ cipalis sinistra at the terminations of the via principalis, and this gate here, at the rear, the porta decumana .” With this volley of hard words they left me. Turning to follow them with my eyes, I saw a flag displayed from the praetorium, and in another instant was startled by a loud trumpet blast and the heavy-tread of many feet. I started to run, when — I awoke, somewhat dazed, and with my ears full of confused noises, yet with a vivid picture of a Roman Camp before me. M. E.