Shields High School - Patriot Yearbook (Seymour, IN)

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4 eed Page Nine COMMENCEMENT The long looked for day had arrived; the day when Letitia Mel- vina Perkins should graduate from the High School up at Waring. The occupants of the little white farm house were astir early. Mrs. Perkins was busily preparing the breakfast of ham and eggs. Mr. Perkins was feeding and watering the stock. Maria Matilda was tying up Letitia’s dress, while Martha Lucy was combing Beatrice Margaret’s hair. Samuel Henry was extremely busy outside the house kicking up pebbles with the brand new shoes that hurt. Occasionally Mrs. Perkins might be heard calling in her wistful voice to Sammy, “Now Samniy Henry I do wish ye’d stop that. Ye’r awful hard on ye’r shoes anyway. You’ll have them wored out afore ye leave this yere place.” Then going back to her work she would mumble to herself, “Tm turrible sorry we couldn’t get Melviny what she wanted when she gradoo-ated. Land knows she’d a looked mighty purty standin’ up there with a white dress on. She ain’t never had no white dress cause I ain’t strong enough ter an’ ain’t got no time ter wash fancy white dresses. But reckon she’ll look as good as the rest on em standin’ up there in their purty blue swiss. I paid a quarter a yard fer it. It would a cost fifty but it was reduced. It seemed a lot to pay fer a dress; but then it made up mighty purty with that old lace from my ma’s weddin’ dress. I hope she’ll like it.” Soon it was time to start. The whole family resplendent in their best Sunday clothes piled into the old surrey and father drove toem to town. “Oh there’s Letitia Melviny. Father, drive right over there. I wonder who that nice looking young man sh’s talkin’ to be,” said Mrs. Perkins as they drove along a quiet street of the little vil- lage. “Oh,” she continued, “I wonder if that young man she’s talkin’ to is that Arthur McKinsey she talks so much about. “Melviny! oh Melviny!” she called. -A pretty, greetish looking girl turned. “Excuse me a moment,” she said to her companion, “that’s some of my old neighbors. They insisted that I be named Melvina and so when I wasn’t, they still held the name.” “Oh what a fib,” cried Beatrice Margaret in an audible whisper from the carriage. Letitia came up to the carriage with a disagreeable air. Her mother handed her the package that held the dress and said sim- POA ST RY O° T COMMENCEMENT NUMBER ply, “Miss Perkins here’s your dress. Your folks couldn’t come.” By this time Beatrice Margaret was out of the surrey into her sister’s arms. She looked very pretty in her pale pink frock with a large pink bow on her dark hair. Her great brown eyes were sparkling with various emotions. “Oh sister,” she said, ‘how could you tell such a story?” “Keep still Bee’ and I’ll introduce you to Mr. McKinsey,” her sister replied, her face flushing. That day Letitia met her father and mother and the children on the street repeatedly but they only said, “How do you do Miss Perkins.” Beatrice stayed with her all day but she was strangely silent except a few times when they were alone said, turning her great sor- rowful dark eyes to Letitia’s dry blue ones, “Why did you tell that awful story?” At last Bee’ joined her father and mother while Letitia went to don her graduating dress and join her fellow graduates. As she opened the package she gave a cry of distress. Blue! her graduating dress blue! But when she looked at the dress and saw the rich old lace her distress gave way to remorse for she realized what it must have meant to her mother to sacrifice the lace from Letitia’s grandmother’s wedding gown for the graduating dress. And to think she, Letitia Melvina, had denied her name and her mother. That night in the big opera house among all the happy faces one, only, looked disturbed and sad. This was the face of Letitia. Her large blue eyes occasionally filled with tears and if one had listened closely, he could have heard her say over and over, “Oh, k wish I hadn’t done it! I wish I hadn’t done it. If I could only undo, It. It was with drooping spirits that she stepped forward to re- ceive her diploma, little guessing what a pretty picture she made in her blue dress trimmed in the old lace, yellowed with age, her golden hair rippling back from her forehead, and her eyes cast modestly on the floor. A thought came into her mind as she stepped back into her place, of how she might atone for her words. Her father and mother would surely come up on the stage to slip on her finger the little diamond ring that had always been given to the first girl to graduate in her mother’s family.

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THe COMMENCEMENT NUMBER Eckler and Duncan Reed. Our class also seems to be favored with mathematicians, for I understand that Walter Wonning is still win- ning his quarters for solving the problems of a household for two. Two of our boys have passed out of our hearing, but they are making a success in lie, and they are George and Marion Mc- Intyre. Irene Montgomery, Mayme Lebline, Leona Thompson, Alice Ruddick, and Martha Loertz( I have not heard from recently, but trust they are enjoying peace and happiness. And last but not least, Clarence Kasting and Mabel Barnes, who have at last decided that two can live on the same amount as one. Well I have spent more than an hour sitting here thinking of my happy school days, and I haven’t got my quilt pieces yet. i eos al Ded me sca MISS ABEL’S RECEPTION Now that spring is here and “that time” is drawing nigh, the popularity of after school parties and receptions seems to be ever upon the increase. Possibly the most popular of these social events, and the one to which invitations are most eagerly sought, are Miss Able’s after-school receptions and class parties. The writer will at- tempt to describe one of these events which he had the very good fortune to attend. The affair was announced by Miss Able at the close of the third hour in the morning session, to the ever hopeful Freshmen Latin class. The Latin “students” did not greet the announcement with any demonstration as might have been expected, but received the news with apparent indifference. Probably they had attended too many of these events to become unduly excited about them. When at last the leaden hours of the day had slowly dragged past, (apparently on crutches rather than feet) the momentous moment arrived and the Freshmen (and some others) trooped to a certain room in the building. Miss Able was there with her usual bright smile of welcome. The formalities usually observed at par- ties were dispensed with and the real pleasures of the afternoon began. First, a number of strange books containing stranger reading matter were produced. Then ensued a very bewildering guessing contest, which no doubt would have been very amazing to a P°A T RiPOrT Page Bight stranger, were he present. Luckily no stranger was there, so no explanations were necessary. Apparently Miss Able forgot the refreshments, but the guests freely forgave her as the cares incurred by entertaining so much, no doubt tend to make one very forgetiul. Then too, the guessing contest was so amusing and diverting that the absence of the re- freshments was not noticed at ail. In what seemed an astonishingly short time the growing gloom in the room warned us that the afternoon was drawing to a close. Miss Able very reluctantly let us go. All those present appreciated her hospitality to the fullest extent, and from the joyous air of the departing guests it was to be surmised that they had all enjoyed themselves very much indeed. VAUGHN JOHNSON, ’11. WHY THE FRESHMEN ARE GREEN We will now let our thoughts wander back to the warm days of September, when a group of merry students first entered the High School as Freshmen. Although we were not acquainted with the different rooms, rules and teachers, we were not slow in learning them. It is usually the custom of the higher students to “look down” upon the Fresh- men and sometimes call them “green.” This act sometimes dis- courages the Freshmen, but one day a good speaker came and spoke to the High School. One thing he said was, “The farmer usually has more pride in a green ear of corn than in a ripe one, for as long as it is green it can keep on growing, but when it gets ripe its growth stops.” Compare the ear of corn to the Freshman class. As long as we are “green” we have room to learn more and will, but if we were not “green” we would have no more room to learn. The Freshman always keeps “green” through his course in High School, even when he is a senior, for he yet has some things to learn and desires to go farther and get more knowledge. There- for, when you speak of a “green” class, remember that all the classes contain a certain amount of greenness, for they are “never too old to learn.” K. SHEPARD, 7138. Mr. E. says they are trying to improve the telephone so that you can see who is talking. Won’t that be nice? But we wonder why he cares.

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COMMENCEMENT NUMBER THE Sure enough they came and Letitia, calling Arthur McKinsey to her side said, “I told you an untruth this morning, Arthur. This is my mother.” Then turning to her she continued, “Mother, I have no excuse to offer other than that I did it on the impulse of the moment. I hate the name Melvina. I always just put the initial ‘M.’ No one knew that was my name. And then you, all of you, but Bee’, looked so, so countrified. Oh, I’m so sorry I did it. “My dress was beautiful motaer. It was such soft clingy ma- terial like I’ve always wanted. Oh, that lace! Mother, mother, why did you use it. It is much too fine for me. After you were so lovely as to sacrifice tnat wedding dress of grandmother’s to think! to think that I wouldn’t own you as my mother.” Then Letitia introduced Arthur to. the other members of the family and after that she presented them proudly to the other mem- bers of the class. As she left she said to Arthur, “That’s what the minister meant when he said in the BaccaJaureate sermon, ‘There will be times when you will be tempted to be ashamed of the old things that were a part of your life before success came; but don’t do it. Re- member that they were the foundation on which your success was built. I didn’t understand what he meant then. But this little incident will keep me from ever forgetting that ‘ail I have, all I am, all that I ever hope to be’ I owe to the home folks.” Ho M., “13. I really want to find someone to call me “Pet” and “Honey,” Of course I much prefer one not stingy with his money. And if he owns an “auto” that really would be fine To take me out where’er I please to have a jolly time. He may be fat, he may be lean, he may be short or tall, As long as he’s not short on cash I wouldn’t mind at all. And to the theatres and balls I dearly love to go; And roses in the winter time I dote on don’t you know. Now if you think you fill the bill just hurry up and answer, I do not care to marry for many years to come, But while I wait I’d like a beau to pay for all the fun. Send it to me by the mail as promptly as you can sir. MABEL KASTING. P:A-T: Rouleost Page Ten SENIOR CLASS POEM . I. One lovely day in hot July As I gazed dreamily toward the sky, I fell asleep and dreamed that I Saw all the nineteen tens and they, In various places situated, Seemed all to me to be related, While some strange voice of nature stated What none of them could to me say. TE; It told me they were widely scattered, Not many where their feet had pattered In childhood days, and later flattered In days of youth and constant growth By some remark or look or prize, When they were just the proper size To learn to look with inward eyes Upon the life not based on childish oath. Til. And then beginning, one by one It told to me what had become Of each of my old classmates. Some Had gone to distant climes. First, there was Flossie, the bright lass, - vyno took first honors in our class, But she had pleased so soon, alas, To live abroad in future times. IV. Enola too a teacher bright, When answ’ring questions, ever right, Took second honors by the might Of power within her studious brain. Now Frances Murdock you may guess From her emotions numberless Had done no greater and naught less Than leave her home, and not in yain.