Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

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27 why tlicy chose to inhal)it this house in par- ticular, except perhaps that it niiglit appeal to ghosts in the same nianuer that it appealed to us. The most mystifying ghost is No-See-Um. Evenings, as I sit alone in the library reading, I leel the presence ol an air-borne specter who, when I look directly at him, merges into the substaiue ol a lampshade, an ash tray, or a piece ol lurniture. This is No- See-Um. Another terrilying ghost is Iron Shoes. His appellation is derived Irom the lact that each and every night, no matter where I am in the house, he approaches with heavy foot- steps, and yet never seems to reach me. Count- less times I have looked up from my books expecting to see him and yet I can only hear his steps. The most intolerable ghost is The Ad- viser. He is the unseen fellow who tells me when to use my right hand instead of my left, when to go up the stairs two at a time instead of one, what color paper to write on, and makes other unnecessary and uncalled-for criticisms and remarks. It is getting now so that I make inore invohuitary moves than I do vohmtary ones. The Dreamer is really a pleasant, friendly fellow, but he often gets me into trouble. It is his pet hobby to talk to me when I am trying to study. He talks about foreign lands, adventure, romance and fantasy. He is well- educated and speaks so persuasively that when I am supposed to be studying French, I am in reality, listening to him talk about Alaska! Fickle is a constant companion of mine who sits on the arm of my chair and looks over my shoulder when I am reading. He makes me think I am the hero of the story and is constantly influencing my state of mind. At one time he thought I would make a fine sailor; other times he thought I shovdd be a policeman, trapper, fireman, cowboy, muscian or writer. When I am discussing my plans for the future with friends, Fickle enters into the conversation and dictates to me. This gives my friends the impression that I am talking nonsense or, in other words, talking through my hat. The last two ghosts are not personal de- mons but, like No-See-Um, and Iron Shoes, they belong to the entire household. One is The Carpenter who travels about the house between the walls and is constantly repairing woodwork which does not need re- pairing. He is responsible for the creaks, knocks, drilling, and general thumping and thudding which goes on about the liouse. The Electrician is, I am son y to say, only an amateur. I have reason to believe that he is practicing the on-the-job-training plan. If I were to meet him, I am sure that he woidd tiun out to be a very nervous and fidgety fellow. He dims the lights to a pale orange when I am writing and sometimes shuts them off completely. His most aggra- vating habit is to blow a fuse when someone is trying to make a pot of coffee on the hot plate at half past five in the morning. This alone keeps my father at odds with the rest of the family icjr weeks on end. Ghosts, as a whole, are not bad at all. They are constantly trying to help or enter- tain us although usually they become a nui- sance so they are difficult to live with. I have thought of the possibility of abandoning them by moving to another house, but I am sure that they would follow me in the guise of friends or neighbors. You can see for yourself that there are always people around who ad- vise, criticize, persuade, and annoy you. There are a great many like Iron Shoes who make a lot of noise and yet never seem to get any- where. Many more are like The Carpenter and The Electrician, for they make a great stir about nothing at all, and think they know more than they really do. Almost anybody is qualified to be a ghost. A Symphony of Moods Josephine Miles, ' 48 Moods are like a great and eternal sym- phony, going on and on, up to the heights in dancing fairy flutes, and down to the depths of the soul in rumbling drums. Each person is a symphony— each with his own tones and overtures, always changing swiftly from one mood to another and mov- ing toward the final climax. Each one has his own little theme imderlying all his works and woven into his music, different from any- body else ' s and waiting to be discovered and appreciated. Some moods are sunshine, or sparkling clear brooks, running and dancing down through the shadows of hemlocks; while others are grasses being swayed in unison by the same breeze that supports the lacy wings of gulls. Some moods are but a breath of air, caressing yoiu temples and gently blowing your hair, bringing with it the fragrance of cedar and salt marshes. They come like clear.

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26 Furthermore, the fulfillment of our hopes does not concern us alone. As the citizens and leaders of tomorrow, we must contribute these ambitions to the making of a better world. The problems vhich we read about in the papers today will be the problems which we must help solve tomorro v. The world will be in our hands and must be kept safe for future generations. In this atomic age, the principles we follow will be the deciding fac- tors of whether or not the world is to continue to exist. Life is what we make it— the world is what we make it. Let us all work side by side to make the era of tomorrow one which will be recorded in future history books as a great era of a great generation. Forward Into the Future Alette Dolan, ' 48 THE senior classes leaving high schools all over America are constantly reminded that the destiny of the country is in the hands of its young citizens. Every graduating class feels like a youthful Atlas, carrying the problems of the world upon its shoulders. For all com- mencement addresses and graduation edito- rials ring with the same inevitable expressions, opportimity . . . future responsibilities . . . fate of the world. Do we realize the challenge that is implied? This is indeed a crucial time in the world ' s history. Within the next century civilization may rise to unbelievable peaks, or it can as easily be destroyed. This problem will be ours. We have learned in science class that water at zero degrees centigrade weighs less than water at four degrees centigrade. This is not just another dull fact to be remembered; this is a miracle! It means that ice will float, that no body of water will freeze through to the bottom. Think of the results if our rivers and lakes should freeze solid. Aquatic life would quickly die, and within a few years all life would disappear from the earth. We know that plants breathe carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, and that animals do the opposite —another miracle. If this were not true, our atmosphere would quickly be exhausted. These are only two infinitesimal factors in the miraculously-constructed imiverse in which we live. Some Divine Power has bal- anced each minute phenomenon with its op- posite, to make om- world so perfect that it has thus far survived all perils of destruction. Vc cannot shatter the equilibriinn of these universal scales with our misdeeds. Each ter- rible new weapon that the hmnan brain con- ceives is making oiu balance more precarious. Shall man ' s history upon this earth, indeed the earth itself, crimible into nothing during our lifetime? Or shall the vision of a perfect and lasting peace materialize? The time is fast approaching for our generation to decide. Ve nuist go forward into the fiuure with clear minds and firm hearts. The House of Robert D FOR all of ten years I have been living in a house inhabited by seven ghosts. The house is situated on a large country estate along the Atlantic Coast south of Boston. It is a copy of an Italian villa and was erected by the well-known author, Robert Haven Schauffler. It is surrounded by ex- tensive lawns and fascinating landscape. There exists on the premises, supposedly, a tree representing each and every nation in the temperate zone. There is a large pool adjacent to the house with many statues of pure white marble surrounding it and ac- centing its beauty. From the pool a Avater cascade floAvs continuously through a mag- nificent rock garden. Seven Ghosts vine, ' 47 The interior of the house is as beautiful and extraordinary as the exterior. The rooms are large and spacious with thick, rich oriental rugs covering the entire floor sur- face like fiu ' on the back of a large animal. The avails vere constructed only after a great deal of consideration was given to acoustics; consecpiently, when the large mahogany piano is played, the music resonates pleasantly throughout the entire house and even to the nearer gardens surrounding it. The furni- tiue is unexcelled in beauty and design. Even the pictines on the walls are unusual and enticing. But it is inhabited by ghosts. Although I have never seen the ghosts, I am certain of their existence. I can not say

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28 fresh pain, these moods; and their music is like a beautiful symphony, so perfect, so lovely, that it seeps to the depths of your soul, and you feel your spirit freed from the chains of life and body, and flying on the wings of rapture. Some moods are disconnected, distracted fragments of the symphony. Discontentment and uneasiness rumble through us like drums, and realization clashes through the darkness like cymbals. Fears fill these moods, striking the soul as discordant sounds in a symphony, full of dissonance and strife, but somehow, vitally necessary to the composition. And then these moods swing into rich, full music, with every theme of pain, love, happi- ness and discord blended together in violins, harps, drums and horns to form a flood of overpowering life in all its complexities: an endless symphony. Clouds Louise Reddy, ' 48 High up in the heavens Nested in a sky of blue, The airy clouds come flying. Bringing messages to you. The world was full of anguish. Of horror, and of sin. And the clouds of war hung o ' er us. Dreary, dark and dim. The clouds of war were parted On one September day, And peace, for a world united. Showed forth its glorious ray. And now, again, around us With sorrow and crying filled The world is growing darker,— The clouds of war weren ' t stilled. But soon will come the victory Of peace, forever more. And with this glorious dawning A world of hope, in store. High up in the heavens Nested in a sky of blue, The airy clouds come flying. Bringing messages to you. Let ' s Go Jean Holcomb, ' 47 Come on, kids, let ' s go, is a familiar ex- pression to every high school girl and boy. There is hardly a time in the corridors of high schools, on athletic fields, or on city streets when some youth is not urging his friend to join him. Let ' s go? Go where? Onward to score a victory on the football field or basketball court, to meet at the drugstore where the gang gets together, to chase another group of teen-agers in a speeding car, or — to a promising future? Just where are your footsteps directed when you follow your friend ' s urgent beckoning? Do they lead toward a successful, happy and healthy life? A clear, definite destination is difficult for many of today ' s youth to con- ceive. And yet, the stepping stones leading toward your destination are self-evident; in- tegrity, reliability, affability, common sense, ambition are all important steps in the path to your goal. These qualities can be acquired when one is young, but must be developed to a higher degree during the high school years. It is the personal responsibility of today ' s younger generation to accept the chal- lenge of developing these virtues. Through the church, the home, the school, and other organizations, young people are realizing tlrat the development of these characteristics is vital to a successful future. More important, they are realizing the necessity of choosing a suitable destination or goal to work toward and achieve. The world of today presents a series of opportunities; the result of grasping these opportunities is achievement. Most young people consider juvenile delin- quency as a subject very remote. Neverthe- less, do they realize what that one quick ride through the city, speeding, may lead to? Or what idle visits with the gang on the city sidewalks may possibly result in? Or the in- fluence of a friend who might suggest, Take just one drink, go ahead! Such everyday activities will not lead to a successful goal. The stepping stones to a worth-while destina- tion can be destroyed by such apparently minor occurrences, which are actually the basis of the future. If you, as the youth of today, could com- prehend what Come on, kids, let ' s go! might mean in years to come, you surely would give heed to where your goal may lie! So, Come on, kids, let ' s go along the step- ping stones of youth to a prosperous and suc- cessful destination!