Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

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12 THE CHIMES JEANNINE'S DECISION Jeannine lay back on her rose, silken pillows and gave a sigh of contentment. How wonderful life was ! Just to lie in bed, no cares, no worry. Just dream, drift. . . . She took a sip of coffee and glanced about her room, so bright, airy, luxurious in its rose-colored tints. Oh, how wonderful it was to lie there with nothing to do ! She was sure no one could be any happier than she. She was awakened with a start from such blissful throughts at the entrance of a trim, neat maid with a tray. She placed the tray on the bed with a Your mail. Miss Jeannine. After an exchange of pleasant words, the maid went out. Jeannine glanced down on the tray covered with envelopes addressed to her. Another happy thrill ran through her. Her mail ! How she loved her mail ! Her mail was her happiness ! One by one she opened the notes — Tues- day night a theatre party, Wednesday afternoon a tea, Wednesday night a dinner dance, Thursday night a night club, and so on. Jeannine opened excitedly one invitation after an- other, clapping her hands and giving excited squeals at each one that she opened. Think of all the exciting times ahead of her ! Jeannine was one of the most popular debutantes of the season. She had just made her debut a short while ago, and was finding the social life of New York thrilling indeed. Jeannine, as a small girl, had always lived in a small coun- try town. Her people were like everybody else there, common, and moderately well-to-do. Then her father had found himself suddenly rich, as the result of a business deal, and the family had moved to New York when Jeannine was just seventeen. She was now twenty-two. Having sorted all her mail, Jeannine, with another contented sigh, lay back still further on her pillows. Again she dropped

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THE CHIMES 11 trying to get started; those who are trying to get past the breakers. They are waiting for a lull ; their whole lives are at stake and yet they dare not venture forth. ''Nothing ven- tured, nothing have is still true. This may also apply to those who are trying to scrape up enough courage to even wade in. They are in a wore predicament than any ; they are afraid of life ! Then there is another group who, even in mildest terms, would be called quitters and cowards, those who having had but the slightest experience in life have become discouraged and dropped out of the race entirely. Finally, our thoughts turn to that swimmer, far out, breaking the waves, pressing forward. Are we not most interested in him? Does he not typify our ideal? Let us try our best to profit by the experi- ence of others ; let us be wise ; let us always be ready to lend a helping hand to a struggling brother; let us, each one, en- deavor to be strong, steady, successful swimmers on this great sea of life. Nellie Mitchell, '29. THE ADVANTAGES OF LIVING IN THE COUNTRY There is not a time in spring, summer, winter, or autumn when boys of the country are not enjoying themselves to the highest degree. In the spring when the buds begin to burst and the birds begin to flock in from the South, the country boy has the most exhilarating thrills to start out the year with. The trees and plants, like human beings, are starting a new life. All this calls him and when Saturday comes along, he leaves his studies and shoulders his fishing rod. On his way to the stream or pond he breathes in with zest the pure invigorating air, free from impurities. Perhaps when he passes a corner of a stone wall, he comes suddenly on a family of young skunks ; or while passing a bush, is startled with the sudden flight of a mother bird from her nest. As the spring slowly melts into summer, the water warms, and the flowers bloom. The swimming hole, free from factory oils and diseases, rings with laughter and the splashing of water by the boys. And after the swim, back to the garden pulling up weeds. Oh ! What life ! All summer long is spent in the great out-of-doors, boating, fishing, swimming, and gar- dening. Then follows winter. Though cold and boisterous it brings sliding, skating, and skiing, and the wonderful art of Jack Frost to cheer us. Though all life seems to be dead, we feel something in the air cheering us up with the remembrance of summer. Can you blame a boy when he says, ''Me for the country ? Charles Colman, '32.

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THE CHIMES 13 into her blissful reverie. She found herself thinking of her school days, of that little girl with the long pigtails, who marched every morning to the little country grammar school ! And boarding school! How much fun she had had there! She smiled at the time when she and Louise had . . . Louise ! Jeannine jumped. Why, she hadn't thought of Louise for ages! Louise, the closest girl friend she had ever had. To whom she had confided all her girlish secrets ! Louise ! Why, she hadn't seen or heard a thing of her for two years ! When Jeannine had come to New York, they didn't see much of each other afterward, of course. But then, they had kept up their friendship, had visited each other, written. But some- how, after she had entered the social circles, she had just forgotten all about her. Louise ! She could never like any one quite so well as she did Louise. What good times they had had together ! Jeannine was suddenly siezed with the desire to see her. She must ! Oh, to talk over every thing the way they used to. Where was she, what was she doing? The last that she had heard was that Louise was attending some small college. But she had graduated, of course, nearly two years ago. She could write to her home town where her parents without doubt were living. Jeannine jumped out of bed at the thought and immediately wrote a long letter to her. She could hardly wait for an an- swer. She waited a week, and finally received one. It was a short note saying that Louise would love to come, but could only stay for a week-end. Jeannine was more excited than she had been for ages. She planned all sorts of things, crammed every minute that Louise would be there full, except the first night when they would want to be alone and talk. Louise came. After their girlish embraces were over, and the excitement died down, they talked as never two girls talked before. ''0, Jan, burst forth Louise enthusiastically, 'Tm having the most wonderful time ! I took up social work my last two years at college, as you probably know, and now I am working in a little mission in some Italian slums. And, 0 Jan, it's the most wonderful work in the world! I love it! If you could only see my darling children, and their little, dirty up-turned faces when they listen to me tell them Bible stories. I adore them ! And I do all sorts of things for those poor foreigners, Jan. I teach the mothers how to live in a cleaner, more sani- tary way, and help the husbands get jobs. 0, I can do count- less things ! I could talk forever about my children ! Louise talked on and on about her work. Finally she stopped long enough to get her breath, and then said, And what have you been doing, Jan? I suppose you've been having a perfectly marvelous time.