Seven Hills High School - Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

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111' I lL I? iS 7' CD PJ if HIGH SCHCCL PRIZE STORY THE MEADOW Cf Christopher stood on the edge of the meadow, and looked about him with interest. He had never been there so early in the morning. The wet grass was cool and pleasing to his bare feet, and the wind, which reddened his cheeks and rumpled his dark hair, was fresh and smelled of the woods. A stray sunbeam drifted through the tall oaks and danced on a patch of grass. Christopher watched, fascinated, as a mother rabbit herded her babies to that spot. Suddenly she noticed Christopher and stopped. The boy was very excited, a wild rabbit had never come so close to him, and the experience gave him an exuberance, a kind of peace he had never known. He wanted to take the rabbit in his hands, and protect her from the world. Tears came to his eyes, he was afraid she would run away, and he wanted her to stay so desperately that his whole soul seemed to shout: Stay here, please stay here. Christopher stared at the rabbit, and she in turn watched him intently with her tiny, beadlike eyes. He noticed the funny way her nose wrinkled as she sniffed the air and the uncertain way she held up her right forepaw, prepared to run. He held his breath, waiting and hoping. Suddenly she turned to her babies: she seemed to say to them He will not hurt usn, and then, with a playful leap into midair, she began a game of tag. Round and round she ran, and her babies after her, all of them had forgotten Christopher. He knew this, and yet he was happy. The rabbit had accepted his presence on the meadow, she trusted him, and indeed, Christopher felt as if he belonged there. GCA quail whistled from the woods on the other side of the meadow, and Christopher whistled in answer, an urgent, pleading ubobfwhiteu. L'Please , a voice cried within him, please answer me . After a moment a shrill, clear Hbobfwhiteu resounded over the hill. Christopher was happier now. The rabbit has accepted him, and the quail. Perhaps , Christopher dared to hope, she thought I was another bobfwhitef' flfI'Ie lay on his back, with his arms under his head, and stared at the bright blue sky, painted with pink and white clouds. Christopher saw The Golden Hindi' sailing through the sky, her sails were gold and her masts were silver, she sailed on a blue sea, and a ball of sanguine Ere appeared over her prow. Her hold was filled with rich materials, and gold bars stolen from the greedy Spaniards. Christopher could even discern Sir Francis himself at the helm, sailing his ship safely through the deep Atlantic. Nearby he saw D'Artagnan and Aramie, riding with Athos and Porthos against the English. Christopher had never seen a pirate ship, except in books, and he had never seen a battlew he was too young for that-he had never had a real adventure all to himself, and so he pretended that the adventure of these heroes were his own. He saw King Arthur go riding by, and just for a moment Christopher closed his eyes, and played that it was he who rode beside the lovely Guinevere. fifThe picture faded, and Christopher opened his eyes. The clouds were still there, but he no longer saw them. He watched a lark soar higher and higher toward the sun, singing in its flight, and Christopher wished that he might be the lark, and fly high and free above the world. And then, as he watched, an eagle swooped down on the lark, his large wings covered the small bird from sight, the song ceased, and then only one of them flew away. page 57

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IMI I Z, ZZ I? 7' C7 DY I? C7fWe passed on back into the hills and I saw a group of raiders cautiously going through the woods. Clym said it was Rogers and his famous raiders. I asked Clym what they were after now and he said they were just out on a hunting trip. I was relieved they were 1lOt out to scalp some Indians so I asked how Anne and Langdon Towne were. Clym said they were expecting a child. He said also that Rogers was now a loved and respected man. He lives happily with Elizabeth. GC Before I went any further, I told Clym I had to see his exquisite wife. He motioned me to the left and he said if we could find her it would be quite unusual. However, we traced her to a lovely home, Clym opened the door for me, and, as I walked into the room, a light struck me square in the face and I awoke. My mind was in a whirl, and I quickly resumed my former position so as to finish the dream. However, this was impossible, and I gave up all hope of ever seeing Eustacia Vye as it was one of those mornings when I had to get up and go to school. Barbara I-Ieald I 12th Grade HIGH SCHGOL PRIZE DRAWING J if 'gig a !5gl!!!h . V.: ' '-i- N 2, 5 Ann Vail E .E nam Grade 55. an QQ page 56

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Al I lL 1? .S 7' 'CD IV Z? CCA lump rose in Christopher's throat. He pitied the lark, and then came relief that, after all, he was himself. The incident gave him a dread, heavy feeling, but not for long. Children forget quickly. just then a cricket hopped onto his turnedfup nose. At once the lark was forgotten. Here was rare fun. He brushed the cricket off, and turned over quickly. The insect hopped away, and Christopher followed as well as he could, for it was difficult to see through the long, wet grass. Then, with a jump, the cricket was gone. Cf A butterfly flew past, and Christopher watched it. He was lazy, and very happy. He belonged to the meadow, and the meadow belonged to him. He raced after the orange butterfly. His bare feet made no noise on the soft grass, and he did not feel the flick of the weeds against his legs. The butterfly led him a merry chase, but finally it flew up beyond his head. Christopher watched awhile, lost interest. He yawned, stretched, and realized with surprise that he was hungry. GfHe ran home across the meadow. His mother noticed his scratched legs and feet, his red cheeks, and shining, happy eyes. She learned that Christopher had been to the meadow, but he told nothing of the rabbit or the lark, or the other friends he had made. The mother noticed his unusual reticence, and felt both joy and sadness. The silence meant that her little boy was growing up. She too loved the meadow, but she had not been there for a long time. She knew the pleasure of running through the wet grass, and how the sun sparkled on the dew drops, so that the meadow became a vast sea of glistening pearls and emeralds. She knew the calm, happy feeling of being on the meadow in the early morning, and it pleased her to know that Christopher shared her feelings. She was not hurt by his silence, there are some things that cannot be expressed by mere speech, or music, or on canvas, or in stone, but only felt in the heart. Poets have had this emotion, they have attempted to express it, and failed. Cf Now she and little Christopher shared the joy in their hearts, and the joy drew them closer together. Unlike the poets, they said nothing. They felt the beauty and the grandeur, and were content. And so, keeping their memories to themselves, Christopher and his mother sat down to breakfast. Cameron Dill 11th Grade SECCND PRIZE EXAMPLE Cf As I walked down the dirt road with my buddy, my thoughts of the coming evening were not too hopeful. A Belgium city didn't have three or four movie houses or any place to dance, and hamburgers and cokes were impossible to buy. If In high school I thought French my dullest subject, but now my greatest wish was that I could remember enough to find myself a girl, a woman or somebody's grandmother with whom to talk. I was bored with Army men, rules and food. I wanted, especially, some homefcooked cookies. Cf The countryside as we walked along made me long for my uncle's farm in upper Ohio, but I knew that I had a job to do and I was on my way to do it, but just now I had a buddy, a threefhour pass and a Belgium town in which I could try to forget. page 58