Scituate High School - Chimes Yearbook (Scituate, MA)

Page 30 text:

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!

Page 29 text:

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.

Page 31 text:

29 When Father Goes Away Ligi Goddard, ' 47 WHEN Father goes away, all the mechani- cal devices in the house seize the oppor- tunity to rebel. There is a mysterious air about Father which seems to discourage all disobedience and household disasters; but soon alter Father has made his exit, any catas- trophe is likely to occur. The roof might leak or cave in, the pump in the cellar might sputter and give up, the telephone might retuse to ring, or the water pipes might bmst. This last calamity stamps itsclt most vividly in my mind because, during Father ' s recent absence, the plumbing system collapsed. About five minutes after Father had dashed through the door, I was busy in the kitchen getting supper ready. With dismay I heard a queer gushing noise which seemed to be coming from the garage. I rushed out to investigate. The garage was flooded with water, and my little ship, which is stored there, was almost ready to set sail. From one of the water pipes issued a spouting stream. Luckily, at that time the telephone was in working order. But not one of the five plumbers whom I called would agree to come until much later in the day or possibly the next day. Three hours slowly ticked away, and no assistance had come. After a last frantic appeal to one of the plumbers, I finally secured a promise of help. Within a half hour the plumber arrived at the house with his kit of tools. The plumber tried, seemingly in vain, to locate the place, underground, where the vater supply to the garage could be shut off. Instead of using a shovel to locate the crucial spot, he used a labor-saving device called a detector, which consisted mainly of a dial and a small chain from which it hung. When the dial was liung over anything made of metal, the needle on the dial was supposed to move. After an hour ' s unsuccessful attempts, I was beginning to think the detector was only a bluff. I uttered a sigh of relief wlien finally the needle gave a slight wriggle. My troubles were over, I thought. While thanking the plumber profusely, I noticed that he seemed disconcerted. I was stupified wlien he told me that plimibers never dig holes. I would have to hire an excavator to dig down to the water pipe, and tlien I could telephone the plimiber again. He said lie would be glad to come over and repair the pipe as soon as it was uncovered. Too discouraged lor words, I turned and fled into the house. The water was still rushing from the garage pipe; and the concave floor, filled with water, formed an ade(juate ocean for my lit tle ship to moor itself in. Mother and I kept saying over and over again, If only Pather were here! At nine p.m. I left the house to attend a party, my spirits much bedraggled. When I departed, there were still no signs of the diggers. At midnight, when I staggered up- stairs to bed, I decided that a hot bath would soothe my shattered nerves. But when I tin ned on the faucet, there was only a gurgle. I stormed into my room and found a note from Mother saying that the diggers hadn ' t come, and that the Water Department had tinned olf the main water supply. I was so exhausted that I had not even noticed that the gushing noise was no longer coming from the garage. The next morning the situation didn ' t look cjuite so discouraging. The excavator finally arrived, and after the digging was accom- plished, t he plumber, with a little persuasion, did his share. At noon the pipe was fixed, and we had water again. Father came home late in the afternoon and listened with amusement to our tales of distress and misfortune. He pointed out that Mother and I should learn more about the mechanics of running the house. Mother answered him by using a little female psy- chology— fiattery. She told him that he had an indefinable charm which seems to ward off any calamity. The Pilgrims Marv Jane Steioart, 8B They sailed, they sailed across the sea And found a land for you and me; These Pilgrims came here just to pray And worship God in their own way. They landed in Plymouth by the shore. Where they settled and roamed no more; 1 hey suffered much and many died, But still they prayed and did abide.