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

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PAGE EIGHT THE PIONEER sometime. There goes that buzz again. maybe. So long.” I guess we had better stop, don’t you? Click. Goodbye and I’ll see you tomorrow C. K. ’32. SPRINGTIME MUD Mud is something which seems to belong with the spring just as the Rob¬ ins and violets, and I like it (except when it comes above my rubber-tops). It is not the watery, black mud of the winter which passing automobiles splash on your best silk stockings. It is a yellow-brown, thick, creamy mud which pulls at your rubbers when you are in a hurry. There is the garden mud, too, which you find when you are working in your garden, or -digging worms for fishing, or walking in the woods. The garden mud is a lovely, moist re-d-black. It feels warm and has that delicious, earthy odor which is, I think, one of the best things about spring. It makes me think of new leaves, tulip and jonquil buds, pussy-willows, violets and all the other lovely things that accompany spring. The worms seem to enjoy it, too, for they wiggle around most con¬ tentedly. In the woods the mud is very black and moist, and oozes through the decaying leaves. It makes a de¬ lightful, squashy sound as I walk. It has a leafy, woo-dy smell which makes me take long breaths, and wish I lived in the woods, especially in the spring. Springtime mud has a use which is a great deal of fun. I often long to go back to my “when I was very young” days and make mud-pies, as the children around my house do, for the nice, soft mud, which is just the color of my rubbers, makes the best mud-pies possible. But since I have outgrown that sport of little girls, I must be content with enjoying this lovely spring-time mud in the ways I have told about, which are really quite sufficient. J. M. ’31. (Editor’s Note :—This theme has been selected from the examination papers as one of the best examples of how a person’s mind will work under stress.) “TO THE PIONEER” 216 2 W. Genesee St. Auburn, N. Y. March 16,1930. To Friends in R. H. S: Hi! (It does seem good to say this because out here no one savs anything but “hello” or “good morning.”) I do just wish you could hear what Auburnians think of Reading. My ears tingle when people say they never heard of Reading, Massachusetts, but, of course, “it must be larger than Au¬ burn.” (Anything smaller than Auburn is, to people out here, just a one horse town.) There are between 1600 and 1700 pupils in the High School. Quite a few in comparison with R. H. S! There are many things that would stand im¬ proving, but, on the whole, the High School has redeeming features: we

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THE PIONEER PAGE SEVEN others of the blackbird family there, the cowbird and grackles. The pussy willow now peeps from beneath the case of brown that kept it warm all winter. When we look at the meadows we see that the hardy dandelions have first given to the beau¬ tiful world their share of color. What’s that! It sure did scare me. It is a bird with a peculiar zig-zagging flight. It’s a snipe ! It did not fly till we almost stepped on it. Last week I saw his cousin, the woodcock, in the damp woods at the north of the town. As we walk through the fields of grass, we hear the flowing or bubbling notes of the bluebird. See how busy he is, probably taken up with the duties of housekeeping. Yesterday while doing my homework out in a field, I noticed a flock of about thirty-five tree sparrows probably leaving for the mountains. The pine grosbeaks are also flocking together. Doesn’t the note of the song spar¬ row, in that scrub brush over there, cheer us up. His melodious notes are telling the whole world how happy he is. Look up in that oak. Do you see that purple finch? He is courting. His little pinkish crest is raised and his wings are hanging limply. Why, his entire body shakes like an ice wagon going over cobblestones. Look overhead. There are five sharp-shinned hawks and above them is a red shoulder or, as the farmers call him, the “henhawk.” The first hawk does some harm but the latter should not bear that fake appellation. That hawk catches more mice and other harmful rodents than any trap can cap¬ ture. The world is wonderful in the spring or any other season if one looks at it as our great President “Teddy” Roose¬ velt did; he writes: “It is an incalculable added pleasure to any one’s sense of happiness if he or she grows to know even slightly and imperfectly how to read and en¬ joy the wonder-book of nature.” Ross Chapin, ’32. A TELEPHONE CALL “Oh, my dear, did you go to the game last night? You didn’t? You certainly should have. It was the most exciting game I ever saw. There were some of the cutest boys on the opposing team. Most of them weren’t as good looking as our team, of course. “I really don’t remember what the score was, but I’m quite sure that we won. It will be in the Chronicle next week, anyway. “What did you say? There’s a fear¬ ful buzzing on this line. Oh yes, of course he was there. Why didn’t you come? Oh, I forgot you had that essay to write. It’s funny how teach¬ ers will pile up homework on a night when there’s a game, and it’s still fun¬ nier how anyone could stay home and do it. “Oh, someone is trying to get this line. Well, never mind. Let them try. What? Oh, no, it couldn’t be as im¬ portant as what we are saying. Do you think you can go to the movies with me tomorrow night ? Report cards come out the day after and I doubt if my father will let me go for about a month after that sad day. Oh my dear, you’ve got nothing to worry about. “I have an hour in detention tomor¬ row so I’ll be able to do most of my homework then, no doubt, if there are¬ n’t too many others there. My teach¬ ers say I talk incessantly. Do you know what that means? I looked it up in the dictionary but I couldn’t find it. I don’t think I talk much, do you? “Did you get any valentines? I got some, and one was fearfully cute. I won ’t tell you over the phone whom it is from. The verse was so cute that I learned it. It is: “Tell me quick, before I faint, Is I yours, or is I ain’t?” “Isn’t that cute? I’ll show it to you

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THE PIONEER PAGE NINE have a lovely organ to which chimes are being added by this year’s Senior Class: there are a great many beautiful stained glass windows in the assembly hall to inspire us with noble thoughts! We lack a gym and a cafeteria. They have a very nice custom out here according to my opinion. Every year the Juniors (Seniors also) hold a Junior Get-Together. To this Get-To¬ gether every Junior is supposed to go. To get a larger crowd they invite the boys and girls to go alone. This year’s event was held 3 weeks ago, in Osborne Hall (in the Woman’s Union) and tic¬ kets were seventy cents apiece. The af¬ fair lasted from 6.30—10.30. When we ar¬ rived, we all received a slip of paper on which a number was written. Then when the dinner bell rang, we hunted for a number corresponding to ours, at the tables. The seating arrangement turned out to be: boy, girl, boy, girl. I decline to comment on our supper— the boys could have eaten three times as much, but the girls refused to eat what they had. We sang, listened to short speeches, duets, quartets, and solos. My honorable algebra teacher was the guest speaker for the evening. He usually begins all speeches by say¬ ing: “My subject this evening is like a girl’s skirt: it’s long enough to cover the subject, and short enough to be interesting!” To our relief, he found a new introduction and commenced by saying that he was not used to the ways of the world! After this part of the program was over, we danced and had a thoroughly delightful time. The head of the English Department, a white- haired and truly dignified personage, started a Virginia Reel. Please be¬ lieve me when I sav that it was the funniest scene I have ev er witnessed! At the end of this, one of the boys started to dance a fox-trot with the above mentioned teacher. She was certainly a good sport, but he—oh my! He danced a hop, skip and jump all over the floor, intermingled with whirling, sidestepping and the like. The august English teacher could not follow such a reckless pace, and as they were the only couple on the floor, (everyone else had taken his seat to watch them) her slipping and sliding was very conspic¬ uous. She fell in his arms: he saved her from falling anv farther: but not until that dance was over, did he think about stopping. The atmosphere be¬ came ten-fold friendlier after this epi¬ sode, and it was with reluctance that we bade everyone a good-night at 10.30. Auburn is faced with a tremendous prison problem. Three principal keep¬ ers within two years have been killed by convicts! One was killed two years ago: the second was killed in the last December riot: and the last was mur¬ dered about a week ago. It was ru¬ mored that the killing of the last P. K. was to start another prison riot, but that plans went wrong and the riot did not occur. Rumors, however, can’t be believed because there are so many false ones. The prison is the main topic of conversation—we go by the Court House and can plainly see the prison, when going and coming from school. Many of the girls’ and boys’ fathers and other relatives work at the prison, so if anything happens, there is always a great deal of anxiety. The prison is not the only place they shoot, not by anv means. Many of the boys and girls are “shot at sunrise” by my illustrious Uatin teacher. Latin teachers must have a weakness for the dawn of day and a revolver! You can imagine that I was astounded when I heard that familiar quotation uttered bv a Latin teacher out here : also an¬ other famous one: “We who are about to die salute thee.” The most popular quotation is: “Inane! Totally inane!” I could write forever without saying anything, and, as I’ve done precisely that, I think I had better end here! Sincerely, Margaret Guild. P. S. I couldn’t resist adding that I am known as “the girl from Massa¬ chusetts who talks so funny.” One of the standard jokes is my going into a book-store and asking for a “block of paper.” ■ This is a caution: never say “block” unless referring to wood. The clerk in the book-store couldn’t imagine what I wanted, and finally asked if I meant to say graph paper, Two girls were with me when I pur-