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

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The Pioneer Page Thirteen ert’s children shall come to live with us or not, Abbie?” inquired Cynthia timdily. “Yes, Cynthia, I have. I think it our duty to bring them up.” “You are right, Abbie. It is our duty, but will it not be a great re¬ sponsibility?” “We must not shirk our duty,” re¬ plied Abbie in a severe tone. The clock on the mantle struck five. “I suppose you have written Rob¬ ert?” “Certainly,” answered Abbie as she arose. Cynthia arose too, folded her sewing neatly and laid it in her basket. Two days later Abbie received a let¬ ter from her brother saying that Edith and Billy would arrive the following day on the noon train. “Does not Robert realize that noon is a very inconvenient time for them to arrive? This will upset us. It will delay luncheon,” complained Abbie. “Yes, it will upset us. It will delay luncheon, but we must expect to make some sacrifices,” remarked Cynthia. “Cynthia Whitaker, you certainly do not think that things will not contin¬ ue exactly the same after the children arrive as they always have. I will tell you once for all that we are going to make no allowances. Absolutely none!” Then she added, “And, Cynthia, you are not to call William Billy. It is so common.” “Yes, it is very common,” Cynthia admitted, “but Billy is so cute and don’t —” “Billy, cute,” interrupted Abbie, “Cynthia, you shock me, you really do.” And she drew a sigh of despair. The next few weeks were weeks of trial and anxiety to Abbie Whitaker. Edith was not so bad, but Billy—Billy was Abbie’s cross. During these few weeks Billy had brought home a dog—• a great, shaggy, dirty dog. He had ac¬ tually brought it in the house. Still worse, he had wished to keep it and still worse Cynthia had asked Abbie why she would not let him. The par¬ rot and the cat were bad enough, but a dog she could and would not tolerate. Besides this he had spilled ink on her best stand cover, broken a window with his baseball and other things which had tried poor Abbie’s patience. But finally, after those weeks of tor¬ ture Abbie felt that all was again in order and that Billy had been convert¬ ed. For three days now he had not asked questions when she told him to do anything. She congratulated her¬ self. He had been boisterous, disre¬ spectful and rude, but under her care and influence he was fast becoming a gentleman in the true senfee of the word. Now that she had tamed him she would attend to the development of his character. To-morrow she would begin to teach him to be generous and thoughtful of those less fortunate than himself. Abbie had had the children write letters to Santa Claus telling him what they wanted most for Christmas. She had, moreover, made frequent trips to the city to purchase these presents, leaving the children in Cynthia’s care.. Christmas morning both children were awake at an earlier hour than usual. Billy, to his great delight, had found among other things in his stock¬ ing, a watch. Now all that was need¬ ed to complete his happiness was a dog and a bicycle and the former was soon brought in from the carriage-

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Page Twelve The Pioneer ing and very helpful in connection with the study of poultry. The next lec¬ ture was on “Clean Milk Production,” and showed that, although farmers do not need to have expensive barns for their cows, they do need to keep their barns and milk rooms clean, if they want to produce good, clean milk, and, not as one slide showed us for the milk room in a little shed where the grindstone, paint pails, scythes, car¬ penter’s tools, and everything else were kept. Some illustrated lectures that will be given for the benefit of the department, before school closes, will be “The Care of Milk,” “Acid Soils,” “Farm Homes,” “Farm Home Grounds; Their Planting and Care.” The knowledge the boys have gath¬ ered during the past year has put it¬ self into evidence on the home pro¬ jects and farms of the pupils. Each boy in the department has some kind of a project at home. A few figures will show what the boys are doing for work at home. The total number of dairy cows kept, 25; heifer, 5; calves, 4; hens, 556; chicks, 1776; the number of chicks has undoubtedly increased since the figure was taken; hogs, 22; and sheep, 12. These are the figures for the total live-stock keep and cared for by the boys of the department. Some of the boys, however, are keep¬ ing a record of what some of the horses, at home, are costing in the way of keep, the total number of horses being cost-accounted is 10. The gardens of the different boys amount to 7 acres in crops. Several boys have hotbeds; all together there are seven hotbeds. Thirty-two trees are kept in minor projects. Three of the boys are doing general farm work. On the whole the pupils are very industrious in their projects. All the live stock has not been on the farms, for they have had a hatch of chickens from the new electric incubator, in the school¬ room. The incubator has just been started again. If you have not seen the incubator, come in, and Mr. Pow¬ ers will be glad to show it to you, and if you wish, explain the running of it. That is what the “Agricultural Depart¬ ment” is for, a sort of “Information Bureau” for any one who wants to know anything about farmin g. The wood-working shop of the de¬ partment, downstairs, has had many new tools added to it since it began. The department owes its growth and advancement, without a doubt, to Mr. Powers, the instructor, because of his patient, personal instructions to the boys, not only inside the class room, but at the home of each and every¬ one of the boys. HENRY H. LIBBEY, 1918. ABBIE’S ECHO. Abbie Whitaker and her sister, Cyn¬ thia, sat sewing in their neat little liv¬ ing room one winter afternoon. Abbie, the older of the two, was tall and an¬ gular. Her straight black hair was streaked with gray, her features were sharp, her mouth was drawn in a straight line, and she wore an habitual scowl. Cynthia was much younger than Abbie. She was short and plump and had hair, which, to Abbie’s great disgust, would curl. Cynthia, appar¬ ently had no will of her own. She al¬ ways thought as Abbie thought, always did as Abbie did, and always said what Abbie said. “Have you decided yet whether Rob-

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Page Fourteen The Pioneer house by Cynthia. “Cynthia, is that a dog?” demanded Abbie. “Humph!” said Billy, who was great ly amused by this question, to Edith. “Anybody would think Aunt Abbie hadn’t never see a dog before.” “Yes, Abbie,” Cynthia replied. “And you did not ask me if you might give it to William. You delib¬ erately deceived me. When I asked you what you were going to give Wil¬ liam for Christmas you said a pair of skates.” Then Abbie suddenly real¬ ized that her plan which would pro¬ mote generosity in the children would also dispose of the dog-added, “But, never mind, Cynthia.” Cynthia was rather surprised by this remark. She had not expected Abbie to become rec¬ onciled so soon. After Billy and Edith had finished examining their presents Abbie said. “Are you not sorry for those children who will have no Christmas to-day?” “Oh, yes indeed, Aunt Abbie,” re¬ plied Edith. “You bet,” agreed Billy. “William,” said Aunt Abbie sternly. “I mean, I have great compassion for them,” supplemented Billy wicked¬ ly. “That is much better,” she said, “and do you not wish to do something for these unfortunate children?” “Oh, Aunt Abbie, of course we would but what can we do?” “Ain’t got no chink to buy nothin’ with.” Blly chimed in. “William, what is tl e matter with you to-day?” and Aunt Abbie looked at him so sternly that he squirmed. For indeed, Billy was forgetting all his les¬ sons in politeness and grammar. Then after a minute. “Since you chil¬ dren really wish to do something I have a plan and we will need no money to carry it out.” “Oh, what is it, Aunt Abbie?” begged Edith. Billy said nothing. It always made him cross and sulky to be corrected. “William, do you not wish to hear my plan?” “Most assuredly I do, dear Aunt Ab¬ bie,” he replied crossly. “Well, it is this. Those poor little Perkins children will have no Christ¬ mas, so we will go down to call on them. Edith, you may take your things to the girls, and William may take his to the boys.” The children looked crestfallen. “Now, start to wrap them up,” di¬ rected Abbie. “That ain’t no fair,”, broke in Billy. “Maybe it’s all right to give them some¬ thin’, but if we give them everything then we won’t have no Christmas.” “William! Your grammar,” said Ab¬ bie reprovingly. “Well, it isn’t fair,” declared Billy. Cynthia looked up from her sewing. “I think Billy is right, Abbie,” she said gently. “Cynthia, please be quiet,” command¬ ed Abbie. “You may get your presents ready and put on your wraps. William, you need not give away the dog, nor you your muff, Edith, unless you wish to,” said Cynthia. “Goody!” shouted Billy, and Edith looked happier. “Cynthia, I ask you please not to in¬ terfere.” “Abbie, I will not allow you to spoil the children’s Christmas.” “It is for their good,” said Abbie sternly.