Somerset Academy - Athenaeum Yearbook (Athens, ME)

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LITERARY and a bang, and in the instant I was covered with tomato juice and chicken fricassee. Finally amid the laughter, I got the mess out of my eyes so I could see and much to my aston- ishment and his embarrassment, there stood John Derek in a waiter's uniform. My chance was here but what a looking sight I was! He was very sorry and offered to do what he couldg therefore I soon found myself in an actress' dressing room and in movie apparel with a much improved appearance. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, the curtain was going up! I was to be ready for my cue in five minutes. There had been a mistake, they thought the real star was in her own room instead of me. Realizing the trouble, I ran out the door to find someone, but no one was in sight. There was nothing but to go back to the room and do as I had been told. Then another knock was sounded on the door and a voice called, On Stage. I started to reply, but the owner of the voice had gone. As I walked out into the lights, my knees shook, for in front of me stood John. ,I didn't know what to do or say, but all of a sudden the cameramen saw I wasn't the original star and a great commotion was spread to all parts of the country by televi- sion. I heard someone shout, Cut the program off the air, just as I fainted. VVhen I was fully revived, john asked me for an explanation, so I told him the whole story, starting with the morning shopping, but I was ready to go home now. I had had all the movie star experience I wanted and the place I cared to see john Derek was on the screen with me in the audience. MADELYN FARRIN '52 Pre-game Jitters It is the day of the big game and the 16 year old finds school work diflicult. As he tries to understand Shakespeare, his eyes keep turning toward the window where the warm, bright sun- shine brings thoughts of the event of the after- noon. The muscles grow tense and he cannot sit 14 still as he thinks of the lanky southpaw who is going to pitch against him. At last the bell rings, he welcomes the chance to get up and walk to algebra class. There the thoughts of logarithms and base-hits mingle as the teacher asks questions and receives unintelli- gent answers. When recess arrives, he hurries out on the ball field to enjoy some inheld prac- tice, then comes more studying. I-Ie tries to do some algebra problems and finds himself draw- ing diagrams of a baseball field and writing bat- ting orders. Finally comes the last period, American Gov- ernment. This seems to be the longest class of the day as Caucuses, presidential elections, etc., are discussed. While others' thoughts are on world events, he is worrying about what his bat- ting average will be if he goes o for 4. Now the great moment arrives as all studying and troubles cease and he rushes to the basement to get that uniform that isn't torn at the knee. WELDON FRENCH '53 My Dream Recently I had a dream that was very strange but beautiful. I dreamed I was walking along a country road when suddenly there was a Hash of light and strains of music. Then I seemed to be floating in air. When my eyes cleared, I saw around me angels who were playing on harps and singing softly. All was very beautiful, but suddenly the music stopped 'and there was an unbearable silence. The skies around me were filled with a bright light that blinded and a pow- erful voice came to me saying, Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you. The music started and it seemed as if I were being carried through space. When all had faded away and my eyes were once more clear, I found my- self by the roadside. Soon after I awoke and lay wondering about this strange dream. I'm sure it must have meant something. Was it an omenP Do dreams come true in real life, or are they just a delusion? BEVERLY FINNEINIORE '5 5

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LITERARY Night Magic When the sun goes down behind the tall pines and the sky grows dark, we wonder what makes the light dim and fade away. It is Magicf, We can see the sun set and its bright red golden rays across the sky. Then the color fades and the sky is black. We see the lights come on in each and every house, the car lights go swishing by, and all colored lights in every store are turned on, one by one. The night is lit up by the millions of stars that come twinkling out. The old man in the moon makes his way slowly from behind a cloud. The snow shines and sparkles like crystals when the stars and moon shine down upon it. The tall pines sway in the wind and you can hear the snapping and cracking of the ice-covered limbs as the shadows creep across the snow. Now the northern lights reflect across the deep black sky or you may see a star go shooting through the sky. All the little animals ascend into the open when everything is quiet to look the night over. Then the stars and moon fade away and the sun rises from the east for another day. But to us the night is full of Magic. I Helped Build the U P Railroad VVhen there was talk of building a railroad from the East to the West, I was all ears. No one had to ask me to help because I volunteered before they had a chance. I thought they needed a few good men like me. Of course, then, I wasn't a little wizened up old man as I am now. I was a great big guy, all muscles, back in my younger days. Well, we started laying the railroad. Let me tell you that it certainly wasn't an easy job and we had just a certain length of time to finish it in. We all worked from morning to night, and we worked steady. Those Indians, they bothered us awfully, they kept tearing up the rails we had already laid and burning our supplies. It looked like they didn't like to see the road completed. Of course we had quite a few other difficulties too. Great numbers of our men quit 'cause they were afraid of the Indians and several got killed. I stuck to it though. No old Indians were going to scare me. A few days before we had the track completed, our big trouble came. I'll always remember that day 'cause it was my wife's birthday and I had forgotten to get her a present. I knew she would be hopping mad. Well, about the middle of the day we saw dust rising in the distance. At a closer glance we could see figures and we knew we were in for it. The Indians were coming again, a whole band of them. They outnumbered us ten to one. What shelter was offered, we took. They put up a great I-ight, but so did we. Our men were dropping one by one. Finally all were gone except a very few, but those Indians had a few less men than when they came also. Someone had to get us out of this dilemna and it was up to me. Inching my way along, I sneaked out through the woods, found my horse and came in behind them. I had tied a large bush to my saddle and it kicked up a lot of dust. I guess that those Indians thought that a whole army had come 'cause they sure left in a hurry. The railroad went through on time. PAULINE. TOLMAN '52, Visiting a Movie Star Have you ever gone to a movie showing your favorite actor and later wondered how you could possibly meet him? That was my experience. One day after I had finished my shopping, I casually dropped into a late matinee. The pic- ture being shown was The Call of the Wild and its hero was Iohn Derek. What a gorgeous hunk of man! Here was a person I would like to meet, but how could it be arranged? I finally decided to pay Hollywood a visit. I arrived on a noonday train exhausted and hungry. After I freshened up, I picked out a small restaurant near the studio of John Derek. During my lunch, I kept an eye on the stars who were wandering in, but John was not to be seen. I couldn't delay leaving the restaurant any long- er, I decided I would have to try some other way for an introduction. I was rising abruptly from my chair when all of a sudden there was a crash 13

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POETRY ? Coming of the Rankcards Mine eyes have seen the glory Of the coming of the cards, They are trampling out my courage Where my hopes of A's are stored. They have loosed the fateful ranks That cut me like a sword. Those D's are marching on. I have seen them in the drawers Of the hundred circling fles While we await the teachers coming With a face of woeful smiles. I have read their righteous grades, You can see a D for miles. Those D's are marching on. Horrors, horrors, horrifulu jar Those D's are marching on. The D's are calling forth the trumpet That is sounding my defeat, They are passing me their D's and E's And an A l'll never meet Oh Pop, don't look when you sign this card Or be swift for me my feet. Those D's are marching on. Those D's are marching on. EDWIN LEIGHTON '54 Poor Little Duke Into the schoolhouse Duke trotted He rushed in thru the door, The very first words that he uttered, l'll never study English no more. Duke's lesson that day he had not read, He said English was a bore, Mrs. Hilton hit him over the head ' And knocked him to the floor. Down thru the main room Duke staggered, He fell down by the doorg The very last words that he uttered, l'll never bark in school any more. NATHALIE CORSON '54 PS- Mrs. Hilton read this and kicked Nathalie, She kicked her thru the door, The very last words that Nathalie uttered, I'll never write poems any more. Beve rly's Ford Bev, Norman, and her best friend Bill Left in her Ford from Stickney Hill, It had been in a wreck, and the gas was low But her sweet little Ford would really go. They were sailing along like a good Ford will Down in the valley and up over the hill, The road was smooth and made of tar And there was nothing in front except one car. It was an old Chev, so they gave it the bell And sailed right by as easy as - well! With her little foot pressed down to give it' gas There wasn't a car but what she could pass. She knew that Ford would really go In high, or second - or even low, So speeding along thru town after town She left the people spinning 'round and 'round. They went sailing along, skipping the tar When up behind them came another car. She looked in the mirror, and what she saw Sent her heart thumping, for this was the LAW! Now Bev is cute, she really is nifty But she couldn't argue when the Cop said y9fty, For the next few days she received her mail In a red brick building called Skowhegan jail. Bev's little Ford, if it had the power of speech This little story would like to teach: One who travels Life's Highway at too fast a pace Sometime, or other, loses more than a race. jovcs HUF11 '54 Taxes Tax, tax, that's all you hear. Couldn't we live without the fear That every time we turn around Another tax is to be found? Everytime we go into a store, The clerk says, One penny more, Makes no difference what we buy, There's still another tax to try. Our tax should be cut 25 per cent Or everyone will have their money spent The next thing to take is shirt or hat They can't get cash, our pockets are flat. Civics CLASS 1 5