Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

Page 22 text:

20 THE CHIMES ON THE TIDE OF THE FLOOD Ruth Damon, '31 A pitiful wail of a child rose out over the wild tumult of the flooded area. ''Oh! muvver, daddy, where are you? The little, pathetic voice cried. ''You told me to wait, and Fs waited and waited and now Fm so frightened. A small boy of about four looked out across the flooded land. As far as one's eye could see, the land was just a wild confusion of particles of houses and furniture. The boy was in the window of a large house in the top story. The water was now rising fast and it would soon reach the second story — one story beneath the boy. The mind of the small urchin was working fast. If Daddy didn't come before long, — he would wait till the waters were almost engulfing him and then kneel down and say his prayers and let that old black water catch him. But, surely. Daddy would come as he had said! He could not leave his beloved son to drown. Here, he started sobbing again. Some time had passed, and the water was now winning its way to the window where knelt the small boy. A few miles down the river, in a relief station, a small woman was crying steadily and repeating, Oh, save them, please. Now fighting his way feverishly was — Daddy! He had almost reached the window. His son was now fast losing consciousness. Far, far, in the distance, he could hear the roar of the water. Now that sleepy feeling was overtaking him more quickly. But, hark, what was that? A voice — and surely he knew that voice — Daddy had returned ! Steady there, son, the voice said. Grab hold of Daddy's coat — that's right. Now hold tight. Sonny felt a strong arm around him, and felt himself slowly rising. Oh, Daddy, he gasped, where is mother. Daddy? A muffled sob was his only answer. He had left mother at the station — perhaps dying. Here the small frail voice continued, What makes it so — That was as far as he got ; for a burst of water in the window was what the poor man had been waiting for. He jumped — down, down, down, into the bottomless pit. Now they were rising. Daddy set out bravely, first catching one thing and then another, — trying, trying, to keep Sonny's head out of the water. A few hours later, a man and small boy, bruised and un- conscious, were brought into the relief station. The doctor and nurses worked feverishly but successfully. If the supplies would only come, they could save them. They

Page 21 text:

THE CHIMES 19 coat . She tried to drive it away from her, but still it per- sisted. At last, with a great struggle, she managed to push it from her, but not wholly, for deep, deep in her heart it was still there. She even managed to whistle a little tune, but it was forced. When she was in her room, she flung the coat over the arm of a chair, hurriedly undressed, and jumped into bed. But as soon as the light was out and all was dark about her and she could near no other sound save that of the beating of her heart, that little voice came back to her with even more force than before. The whole air seemed to be full of voices that all said, ''You shouldn't have stolen that coat; you shouldn't have stolen that coat! At last she could stand it no longer. She jumped out of bed, kneeled by her little window, and looked down upon the peaceful roofs of the town in the moon- light. High upon a hill she could see Grace Whitman's huge house. ''Yes, it is true, she almost thought aloud. How foolish it was of me to do it. All the fur coats in the world aren't worth the price of dishonesty. I would rather go naked than steal again. Besides, what are clothes anyway? Noth- ing! After all, they don't amount to anything in the long run. It's what you are that counts, not your clothes. Why, I would rather be the poorest girl in the world, and be kind hearted, than be rich and be like Grace Whitman ! I will take Grace's coat back to her tomorrow night. The next day at school there was much talk about Grace's stolen coat, but Emily took no part in it. Every time it was mentioned, it was just like a sharp dagger piercing her soul. Ihat night, a much damaged Emily with a large bundle under her arm walked up the hill to the Whitman mansion. She walked boldly up to the front door and rang the bell. A maid came to the door, and after finding out whom she wanted, disappeared. Soon after, Grace came to the door. Oh, hello, she said carelessly, and none too graciously. What do you want? Grace, said Emily, I have brought back your fur coat. It was I who stole it. But I want to tell you that I am very, very sorry. Oh, so it was you; was it? said Grace with all the scorn she could muster, for she could not help but admire one who could steal a thing and then so boldly return it. I might have known it all along. If you're so anxious to return it, hurry up and give it to me. At that she snatched the bundle from her hands and slammed the door in her face. I am thankful Fm not Grace Whitman, thought Emily with a smile, as she was on her way home. I'm glad I'm just me. Science Teacher — Name some liquid that won't freeze. J. Harris — Hot water.

Page 23 text:

THE CHIMES 21 did come, and just in time. The boy and father were saved after a horrible journey which neither would ever forget. As Sonny opened his eyes, he looked into his mother's. He whispered, ''Daddy, Muvver, and Sonny — all together again. WHAT IS COLLEEG? Velma Damon, '28 ''Now-a-days, remarked a righteous-looking lady, ''there's an excuse for everything. Why, my Johnny came down to breakfast this morning with a soiled shirt on. When I called his attention to it, he replied, 'Naw, faint dirty. It's colleeg.' Suzie's shoes needed shining too, and when I mentioned the fact to her she said, 'Aw, they're awright. It's colleeg!' I don't know what the younger generation is coming to, she continued in a pained voice. I corrected Johnny's and Suzie's English, but they said, 'Ya ain't supposed to say aren't , you're supposed to say ain't. It's colleeg!' When one can find an excuse for a soiled shirt, and poor English, it's going pretty far. Just what is colleeg? she asked. I have often wondered what colleeg really did mean. I am sure that a soiled shirt or dress could not go under th at term. Looking around and hearing the girls and fellows talk, I have decided that colleeg really means something that is rather smart-looking or sporty. Of course, there are some people who always go to the extremes in everything. That is shown by the boy who called his soiled shirt colleeg , and by the girl whose shoes needed a shine. You may see a girl dressed in the latest sport clothes — she's colleeg in a wholesome, neat w ay. She may go to extremes in her clothes, but I'll wager her skirt would be pressed and her shoes shined. You may see a young fellow dressed in floppy trousers, soft hat on the back of his head, striped socks to match his tie and scarf — he's colleeg! If you look closely, you will see in the majority of cases, that those flaring, baggy trousers are pressed, his shirt is clean, and his shoes shined. Listen to them talk — these colleeg people ! Perhaps they do consider it smart to use the latest slang expressions, but they use them mostly when they are with a group by themselves. But won't you agree that their English is really correct? Do you hear so very many of them saying ain't as a regular thing? No, you do not. These smart youngsters realize the value of a good working vocabulary and of good English, and they use their knowledge to good advantage. There are the extremes of youth that would try to excuse their carelessness in dress and speech by calling it colleeg . But these are the exceptions — not the rule, and it is the regular thing we should judge by; don't you agree?