Stoneham High School - Wildlife Yearbook (Stoneham, MA)

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THE STONEHAM HIGH SCHOOL AUTHENTIC I had been captured by a member of the Merrie Woodsmen outlaw band, and that as soon as a council sat my release would be granted me, but I must re- main in the camp through the night. A bed was made me of husks, ■;’;e which of I found was a privilege the other women wanted to lack. I scarce closed mine eyes during the territde night, although I w ' as promised no harm. At dawn, sorely tried by my unac- custunied bed, the likeness of her that had looked to my wants the night be- fore, roused me and informed me that I was wanted to be seen by the coun- sellor. Timidly I went before him and he drew from me a treaty of silence as to my adventure, saying if I revest- ed the haunts or the workings of his I band I should be in danger of my IH’- ing. Then blowing upon a conch shell the forerunners of the band rallied to conduct me to the clearing, from whence I could easily guide myself home to Berkley Castle. Just before leaving, the Counsellor handed me a sealed oil packet bound j with a linen thread. I was to open ) this when I reached the clearing. I accepted it more from fear than from willingness, forsoothe I fain would have cast it into the stream which ran but a few paces from our very feet. With no more ceremony I was .lis- missed from the Counsellor’s presence and began my way home. The men made much sport among themselves with their bottles and paid little heed to me in their midst, for the which 1 was very thankful. Finally we reached the clearing and ever as soon as we arrived thei’e, wilh nary a word the outlaws wheeled about on their steeds and were gone within a twiiiKling. There I opened the packet and with- in on a wax tablet, dug out with a sty- lus, was a note from the Counsello -, himself, stating that as long as I woL e the signet, seal ring, which was within the packet, wherever I chanced to be, I need never fear, for inside the ring was an instrument, vhen blown to its full size, (which was thrice its compa-t form) and when rubbed with the seal on the ring, would sound the call of the band. This signal was quite un- known to anyone not a member of the klan. After giving the call it w ould be but an instant before aid would come in answer to the summons. Quickly I slipped the ring on my forefinger and betook myself to my father’s castle, which by this time I knew would be in arms searching me I out. 1 But, dear Jane, thou must know the ; rest of the tale and behold! mine hours ' are now few here, and thou hast not told to me yet the ways of thy life, lit- I tie girl. I prithee tell me if or not thou be happy. “Oh-oh, Aunt Katherine, I am ex- ceedingly happy. This has indeed been ! a wonderful thing. To think I should I be the one to meet you tonight, it is I truly more than I can believe!” i “Ah, precious, did I not see in thine : hand the signet seal, the which of I spoke to thee?” “Truly, Aunt, you did.” “Well, dear, only those who possess I that ring can I talk with. I neve r used I the magic call, and for aught I know ! it is still in the ring. But let me look at the treasure, for I darest not have the touch of it on mine hand, for veri- I ly, evil would be my fortune if ever ! again I felt it. Eemember, my dear little girl, the magic charm is locked within and perchance thou dost meet ill fortune, the mysterious potent will bear thee aid.” I ' hen there followed the story of Jane’s few years, with the revelation of the marvellous inventions produced by the world’s tide of progress, when, hark ! The little French clock on the man- tlepieee is fairly galloping away in its haste to be the first to warn of the da 3 ' - light hour. The steadj’’ tick, tock, tick, tock of the grandfather timepiece tells majestically ' that the charmed hour is coming to an end. “Boom,” from the grandfather clock, “Boom.” Goodbve, dear new fashioned little girl.” “Goodbye, dear Aunt Katherine, I shall always remember you and what ’0U have told me. Some day, perhaps my portrait will hang beside ymurs. “Boom!” “And I do hope we shall meet again-” “Boom !” With a soft rustle of her silken gown, the old-fashioned lady mounted the portable library steps and entered the golden frame. “Boom ! !” The fifth hour sounded and all was silent. Jane blew a kiss toward the beautiful, smiling face in the enchanted frame, then turned slowly and left the 14

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THE STONEHAM HIGH SCHOOL AUTHENTIC broadcasting and receiving. The pecularities of public sentiment are often difficult to explain. Even in this day of innovations, many conces- sions to established conventions are still made. In the medical profession, advertising is considered contrary to the code of ethics. The propriety and ■wisdom of advertising church services and other religious activities are still subjects of dicussion. If these ap- peals are made in sincerity and with unsensational dignity there seems to be no good reason for adverse criticism. In choosing a vocation, a young per- son may well consider the opportuni- ties for progress and proficiency of- fered by this science in its several phases: soliciting, illustrating, and writing. One may now look upon it as a suitable field of endeavor and an op- portunity for praiseworthy achieve- ment. Euth Massey, ’24. JVunt In the library of a spacious mansion in a fashionable London section, a young girl late in her teens, sat alone. She had just returned from a theatre party, and after reaching her boudoir, discovered she had dropped a treasure between the lower hall and the upper apartments. Upon reaching the libra- ry, she discovered her trinket and sat down for a moment to examine it closely. It was almost midnight, a bit early for a young person to be in, especially during the holidays. Quickly the little French clock on the rnantlepiece ticked away the min- utes, while the old grandfather clock tocked every second with presuming regularity. Its hands were almost at twelve ; then, the deep boom, boom of the ancient timepiece measured out the mystic hour. Jane was about to leave Avhen she thought she detected a faint rustle in the room. Turning about she fancied the noise came from under Aunt Kath- erine’s portrait; but no, the lady in the frame, herself, was moving, shaking the folds of her silken gown and turn- ing her head. Was this a dream? Slowly she looked about, and placed her dainty slippered feet on the porta- ble library steps. It was then that she noticed Jane and smiled lovingly upon her. The young girl drew nearer the older woman. Softly Jane spoke, gathering courage. “Are you Aunt Katherine?” “Indeed I am, my dear. I see I have not been forgotten these three hundred years.” “Oh, Aunt Katherine, Mother has so often told us stories of you, and I my- self have read again and again in our genealogy of you. Tell me, dear Aunt, how it happens that you have come to tne’s portrait life tonight. I had just been thinking of 3’ ' OU as I set here, wishing I might ask you just one question.” “Dear niece, perchance I may rest A ith thee here ’till sun up. On the an- niversary of my birth each hundred years, I am privileged to visit this ethereal world. However, let us not be the losers of precious minutes by thus discoursing. What is thy ques- tion?” “I was wishing. Aunt Katherine, that you, yourself might tell me the story of this ring I just discovered her? in the library. I know it was yours.” “Ah, my child, it pleases me so much to hear thee talk thus, willingly will I grant thee thy request. I will lu-gin my story immediately.” Midsummer, in the year of our Lord, one thousand six hundred and forty, while still Avas I lacking four years to make me tAventy, I was riding in the Buckminster forest, searching out, hero and there, the tiny Aoaati ' s which peep from the cool ferns. Suddenly I re- ceived in mine ear an harsh A’oice, that of an uncultured man, ordermg me to utter no sound and to obey his commands. I AA ' as terrified! No one had ever spoke me thus save old James, our age Avorn gardener, Avhose mercy I once happ’d into, after stealing berries from his favorite patch. From sheer fear I folloAved this outlaAv, for such I felt he must be. He led me to the in- most depths of the forest, to a spot AA’here sat many others of his likeness being tended by Avomen, some old. oth- ers young in years. These persons had the goodness to rise as AA’e entered their midst and I Avas like to feel more gentle toward them for their good manners. I Avas given OA er to an elderly Avoman AAdiom I took a fancy to right aAvay. It was herself told me that by some mistake

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THE STONEHAM HIGH SCHOOL AUTHENTIC library with one last, longing glance at Aunt Katherine’s portrait. “Perhaps,” Jane murmered to herself. half aloud, “I wonder if---perhaps, some day.” E. G. L. ’25 of locution (With Apologies to Miss S.) Dong! The study hour was over. Yeda was the first of the two girls in Study IV to slam down her books with a sigh. The next hour was a free one. “Done, Cynthia? Then come, let’s walk over to the lake. It’s too fine a day to waste inside.” Cynthia was willing, but she hesita- ted. “Yeda, aren’t you in Elocution II?” “Oh yes,” smiled Yeda, readily, and shouldn’t I be plugging away on my original and required essay, to be memorized and recited just twm weeks from today! Come downstairs and I’ll tell you how w ' onderfully I’ve progress- ed on it.” Out on the green campus, Yeda an- nounced triumphantly, “I’ve chosen my subject.” Cynthia was sympathetically glad. She had not chosen Elocution II, but she felt vicariously the sufferings of those in that enterprising class. Know- ing that the other contestants had their essays well under w ay, she feared for Yeda’s, yet unbegun. “The title of mine’s going to be, “Labor Conditions in the Shoe Indus- try, or some such w ' ording.” “That’ll be good.” “It’s a subject I know something about, anyway.” Yeda made a secret of the three years she had spent work- ing in a shoe shop, preparatory to her present college years. “You haven’t got any further than the title?” Cynthia asked dubiously. “Oh, you joy-killer! Isn’t that the most of it? But, seriously. I’ll wmrk hard after today. The two hundred dollar prize w ' ould make a little differ- ence to me.” “You’ve got to try whether you w ' ant the two hundred dollars or not,” (’yn- thia interposed, “as long as you’re in Elocution II.” A week before the fateful night, as the annual Elocution Night was called, found an excited group in Y ' ed’s room. The young lady, herself, held a disord- erly sheaf of half-scribbled paper in her hand. When she had “felt in tJie mood”, she had dashed off a paragraph of her speech, thrusting it aside anoth- er day to begin on a fresh l it cf paper. “Oh, Yeda, you ought to try, you’d win the prize!” You’ll fail in the course if you don’t have it memorized, too.” “What w ' ill Professor Leek say?” Yeda sat down resolutely at her desk. “I hereby announce my intention of getting to work — if you’ll only go and let me have peace.” “We depart, since you so graciously bid us good-night.” Left with Cynthia, Yeda seriously glared at her desk. She was good at spontaneous writing and talk, but tills task of constructing and memor ' zing a well balanced oration did not at all appeal to her. She sorted her papers, forceful little paragraphs, with here and there an outstanding sentence. Copying these, she formed an introduc- tory paragraph. How sleepy she was! The lights-out bell brought relief. She would think it all out in the morning. Thus delaying and evading, Yed:i faced Elocution Night with only the secure knowledge of how she iatonded to begin her talk, and also of the clos- ing paragraph. “I can think of some- thing to say in between,” she careless- ly remarked. But underneath her in- difference she was worried. That eventful night, as she listened to her own opening words, her real con- victions forced themselves upon her and because her subject was int-msely a part of her, she talked eager i.v and convincingly. But why was Cynthia looking so worried? It must be almost time to stop. Yeda talked adroitly to introduce her closing paragraph, and finished in a burst of enthusiasm, just within the time limit. There w;is lo applause as she stepped down, for ;t was forbidden until the end of the ev- ening, but Cynthia whispered with ra- diant face: “You’ve done it ,Yeda!’’ And the judges confirmed Cynthia’s verdict. L. E., ’25. 15