Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR 7 Johnny Grows Up By Donald Bolden, 1925 RS. Jordan was resting in a rocker in the parlor after her morning’s work, which was especially tire- some as it was Monday and com- pany had been there on Sunday, when Johnny appeared from school. From the moment he entered and took off his cap, his mother knew by the awkward way he acted that there was something in the air. Johnny was a boy about fifteen years of age, though he looked to be older, good looking, with plenty of brown wavy hair and eyes to match. His hair showed the effects of vaseline to keep it down, as he had recently changed from part- ing it on the side to combing it straight back, much to his mother’s evident disgust. He put down his books and sat in a chair opposite his mother, but changed his mind and pulled it closer to his mother, fidgeting with his cap. “John,” said Mrs. Jordan sternly, “whatever is the matter with you? What makes you so different? What have you got on your mind? Tell me?” Johnny reached for words. “Well—er—it’s this way—er. Can you—can I nave some long pants? All the boys have—” “That will be enough, John. This has been all decided and argued before. You cannot have them,” she said, as if to settle the matter. “Why, your father did not have them until he—” “Oh, you’re always telling me what father did when he was a boy. It’s different today than it was in pa’s time,” retorted Johnny, disgustedly. “That will end the matter with me, John,” said his mother. “You take it up with your father tonight.” She knew he would be re- fused. Then she added: “I don’t understand the change in you these last two weeks.” Truly, he had changed and his sister, older than he and the only other child, had wisely hinted “girls,” though Johnny stoutly denied them. His statement was rather contradicted, however, in that his usually sombre neckties had been replaced by bright striped ones, which his father said, spoke, they were so loud; also that his collars were spotless, his shoes shined, and his clothes brushed. Again at the supper table the question was brought up, but more skilfully and more tact- fully, as Johnny had prepared what to say be- forehand. His motion was squelched before it was well underway, but Johnny argued so earnestly that his father left with the under- standing that if Arthur Cole’s parents let him wear long trousers John could have some. Johnny recognized his attempt as a failure as Arthur’s parents were very conservative and old-fashioned, and besides Arthur was smaller and younger. Johnny’s hopes were dashed. An hour later, while disconsolate Johnny was studying his geometry and having a hard time of it, the door bell rang. His mother and father were upstairs and his sister was doing the dishes so he was forced to answer it. He opened the door and in stepped young Arthur and along with him came pants, long pants which were two sizes, at least, too large. But, they were long pants and Arthur was wearing them. Johnny was overcome with joy and in one breath called his mother, father and his sister. When Mr. and Mrs. Jordan saw Arthur they were surprised and dismayed. When they had made the arrangement with Johnny, they were sure it would settle him for a while at least. Arthur was a hero to Johnny and the opposite to his parents. Mr. Jordan tried to reason with his elated son, but it was a useless task. Johnny had won and Mr. Jordan had to admit it. It was afterward learned that Arthur’s cousin had outgrown the trouble-making trousers and sent them to him, and as Arthur’s parents were poor, Arthur wore them, though they did not fit him at all. No time was soon enough for Johnny to buy the new suit, but he was forced to wait three long days before his father could take him. Johnny, during this time, looked gloweringly at his long stockings and wished for the time to discard them. On the eventful Thursday he and his father went to town to a well known store. He was rather hard to fit, but there were some suits that fitted. Mr. Jordan liked a brown heavy suit with plain coat, vest and cuff bottoms, but Johnny knew what he wanted and picked it up and showed it to his father. His father was aston- ished. (Continued on Page 10)

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR ‘ The Tie That Binds By .Mildred N. Smith, 1924 ASHING dishes was a dreadfully commonplace thing. Margaret de- tested it. Making beds was a lowly job, likewise, and dusting she considered the worst of them all. Yet these things, with their associate du- ties, were in the daily round of Margaret’s life. How she hated that monotonous routine! “It’s the same thing all the time, since I left school, Father,” she complained one morning. “It’s all work—and the same work—and I hate it! I had a letter from Dorothy Williams yes- terday,” she continued. “She has a maid to wait on her. She doesn’t have to wash dishes, and think of the clothes she has!” “You shouldn’t speak so, child,” remon- strated her father. “If I could, I’d gladly hire a maid and let you do whatever you wish, but I’m not rich like Mr. Williams, and you know it.” Margaret knew it only too well. She hadn’t had a new dress for weeks. Mr. Phillips was troubled by his daughter’s dissatisfaction, and he pondered over it on his way to work. Since the death of his wife sev- eral years before, he had tried to fill her place as well as his own in bringing up the daugh- ter whom he idolized. All the morning he thought about her unhappiness, iuid at length a solution presented itself. That evening he unfolded his plan to Margaret. “I’ve been talking with Mr. Williams this afternoon,” he said, as they were sitting at the supper table. “He has just decided to send Mrs. Williams and Dorothy to Europe.” “Dorothy Williams is the most fortunate girl in the world,” said Margaret in an envious tone. “I know someone else who is fortunate, Margie. Mr. Williams has offered to take you with them.” “Take me to Europe? Me? Oh, Dad!” Mar- garet’s face flushed and her eyes were radiant with expectation. “Tell me all about it.” Mr. Phillips explained that she was to go as a companion for Dorothy, and that they were to sail in about three weeks. He did not tell her, however, that he had had to use all his powers of persuasion before Mr. Williams had made the offer, nor that a considerable part of his carefully saved earnings must be sacrificed to pay her traveling expenses in Europe. He wanted her to be happy, no matter how much it might cost him. It seemed to Margaret that the next three weeks were the happiest she had ever known. There were clothes to be fixed over, and new clothes to be purchased, and Margaret loved clothes. Her father did not murmur at the ex- penditure, although he was quiet and thought- ful as he listened to her lively chatter about her preparations. He said nothing which might lead her to believe that the arrangement was not satisfactory to him. He did not complain because the furniture was dusty and the beds roughly made, but he sighed as he thought how lonely he would be without her, and won- dered if she felt at all sorry about leaving her home. (Continued on Page 8)

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8 SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR A Cruise on a Fifty-foot Yawl By Richard Tousey, 1924 AST summer I spent August cruis- ing on a fifty-foot yawl in Maine water. One day we ran from Somes Sound to Sorrento, a small harbor on the mainland. It was a blustering day which gave prom- ise of bad weather for the morrow. Sorrento has two harbors, the northwest one well sheltered from the southeast, but open from the southwest where the wind has a stretch of three miles over the bay. The other faces the open sea toward the southeast and east. We lay in the former to get shelter from the southeast storm which seemed to be brew- ing. During the night occasional gusts of wind whistled through the' rigging, and by the swell which was backing around the point we could tell that it was blowing harder from the south- east. In the morning we arose to'find the sky overcast and heavy rain squalls washing the deck. The wind had risen to a southwesterly gale and the harbor became very choppy. We looked out now and then to see that the anchor was holding. There was a motor boat moored astern and once when we looked out it seemed appreciably nearer. Soon it was evident that we were drifting. We hastily got on our oil- skins while the captain was trying to start the engine. We could easily drop our second anchor if necessary, but as it weighed one hundred anil fifty pounds and was very hard to pull up, we decided to use this as a last resort. When on deck we found that we were already astern of the small power boat, and only a little way from the dangerous rocky shore. The engine would not start. We drifted nearer and nearer. Finally we dropped the second anchor. This fetched up and held us fast. Then, and not until then, the engine started. With its help we weighed the first anchor and found it fouled with a mass of kelp and eel grass that would prevent any anchor from holding. Having wound up the second anchor we went back to the old anchorage. Seeing this so unprotected, ami fearing another experience of the same kind during the night, we decided to make the other harbor, a three-mile run. A fifty-foot yawl so heavily built drives hard in a sea with only sixteen horsepower to push her. Although helped by the jumbo, the sec- ond sail on most yawls, it was all she could do to force her way through the rough en- trance. On coming about the sail began to slat in the high wind and the sheet got under the fluke of the port anchor, lashed on deck. Mean- while another part of the same sheet got five or six turns around the stock of the same an- chor. The blocks on the clew of the sail were banging about when I went up to clear the sheet. One blow in the head from this source would have instantly stunned me. I had to keep out of the way of four ropes, two blocks and the heavy sail slatting dangerously. I could not catch the sheet, to say nothing of holding it if caught. The sail had to be dropped, but by this time we had rounded the point and were paying on toward our destination. In this harbor we found the relief from the swell well worth the work of setting there. We slept soundly that night and found on awak- ing, a bright sun and the light northwest wind which shows the Maine coast at its best. THE TIE THAT BINDS (Continued from Page 6) Margaret was invited to spend the day be- fore the date of sailing at the Williams’ new home, a handsome residence in the suburbs and some distance from the city. She bade her father a gay “Good-bye,” scarcely noticing his emotion in her own excitement. It was a busy afternoon for Margaret and Dorothy, doing those hundred and one little things that had been left until the last minute, but they spent a quiet evening and retired early that they might be fresh for the morn- ing. Margaret felt a sense of lonesomeness set- tling over her, but she did not mention it to Dorothy, and tried to crowd it out by pictur- ing the brilliant things which were awaiting her. The morning was gray and foggy, certainly not a cheerful morning to set out on an ocean trip. Margaret was silent. In fact, all during the ride to the city she said nothing except when she was addressed, and then her replies were decidedly brief. Dorothy was troubled, but Mrs. Williams merely smiled and shook her head. Perhaps she guessed the girl was homesick. (Continued on Page 9)