Summit School - Flame Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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A TRAIN OF THOUGHT ERE he comes. Here he comes again, Mommy! The little girl across the aisle dived into the pile of magazines and packed sandwiches on her mother's lap. It's all right, dearieg he's only the porter, was the expressionless reply of her mother, who still sat engrossed in her reading. The porter passed us, grinning brightly at the little girl whose look of fear gradually became a peering look of curiosity. Mommy, why are his teeth so big? Hmm? Mommy, why .... I lost track of their one-sided conversation and glanced back down at my French book. Ie l'ouis dire 5 fnote l, page 67j. I had looked at the note twice before and now had forgotten again what it said. It wasn't easy to do your homework on the train with a football broadcast blaring at one end of the car and a spirited bridge game in full swing two chairs away. Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate, I said to myself severely. Now the clattering train wheels seemed to echo my words. For several miles I gazed at the paragraph of French before me without trying to comprehend it. I looked up sud- denly as I felt the train begin to slow down. No lurching forward or screeching of brakes announced the train's halt in front of a small, modern, stone depot. The only sounds were the hissing of the air brakes and the shouting of porters. A door slammed, and several moments later a chilly gust of air wrapped itself around my legs and then disappeared. An army officer and a priest entered our car and came toward the two empty seats near mine. The grinning porter followed them with a small army satchel, which he set down beneath one of the chairs. Tipping the porter, the oflicer slowly sat down with somewhat studied ease. He took a packet of small white cards from his satchel when the train started up again and began to turn them over one by one as if studying them. I leaned forward and found that Iapanese or Chinese writing of some 'sort was printed on one side of each card and the translation was on the other. I bent closer and could hear him softly mut- tering unintelligible phrases. He seemed to be trying his will power to the very utmost by not allowing himself to look at the translation of each phrase, and several times a look of satisfaction smoothed the wrinkles of worry from his mouth and forehead. The train suddenly swung around a bend, and my head and shoulders jerked violently forward, hitting the ofIicer's hand and knocking the packet of cards from his grasp. He must have known that I had been staring over his shoulder, for he looked quickly around, and then bent over to pick up the scattered cards. Without thinking to help him, I quickly drew back into my chair and stared at my French book. He then saw that I was embarrassed, for he chuckled softly and settled back into his chair, looking at his watch. Excuse me, I said finally. He chuckled again, this time with his eyes closed. Perfectly all right, he answered. My French seemed easier after that, and I lost all track of the noise about me and the sky and trees darting past outside. My concentration lasted until I turned the page. Then my attention was caught by a crackling noise several chairs away. A tall, heavy- hipped lady was opening a box of candy. She carefully bunched the wrappings into a ball and placed it under her chair. Slowly drawing the cover from the box, she peered for a moment at the array of chocolates and caramels and then selected a brown square that looked like fudge. The candy disappeared into her mouth and was chewed thor- oughly with thoughtful, vigorous chin movements. The eyes of the little girl across the aisle, like mine, I supposed, were Fixed First upon the candy box and then upon the ladyls mouth. The box was then recovered and placed snugly between the arm of the Pullman chair and the lady's hip. THE FLAME 27

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MY TEMPURARY JOB IN STATIONERY T WAS 8:20 by the jewelry store clock. I was early again. I hated to be early be- cause it meant that I had to be in the store ten minutes longer than I was being paid for. It wasn't that I minded particularlyg it wasjust the principle of the thing. There wasn't time to take a walk around the block the way I uslially didg so I marched self- consciously past the men who were waiting for the doors to open and pushed past the Closed sign. Being able to go right in by this sign always gave me a little lift. I marched down the center row of books, glancing at the stacks of The Song of Bernadette as I passed. I wondered why anyone couldn't just pick one up and walk oH with it. However, I never satisfied my curiosity by experimenting. No matter how early I got there, Mr. Read was always ahead of me. I spoke the conventional, Good morning at him from the front of the department but received no response. The time clock now registered 8:25. I always regarded it with great respect and ad- miration. How could anyone ever-'have invented such an intelligent machine? I tried to figure how it could possibly work, and how any inanimate object could be so accurate. I counted all the places on my time card where I had punched in the wrong spot. Each one would cost me a dime. The money was to go to some fund or other. With great care I dropped the card into the punching slot. I grasped the handle and pulled it down fearlessly. The little hell dinged, so I knew that all was well. Near the clock there was a sign that always fascinated me. It said No Smoking in ten languages. The only two I knew'were English and French. The one consolation I received at this revelation of my ignorance was that I would have known Latin if it had been there. However, I did grasp the idea that smoking was not allowed. Having mused over the fascinating sign, I drifted over to the desk where people sit when they order stationery. The glass was full of fingerprints, so I knew that as soon as 8:30 arrived I would have to polish that and the counters, too. I flopped down and hoped that it Wouldn't be too hot a day. It really didn't make much difference, though. No matter how cool and breezy it might get outside, the atmosphere in our department always remained the same. Then I started thinking about what the other girls would be doing today. This thought was always fatal to my good humor. I could see them diving into an ice-cold lake after a hard set of tennis. I imagined Happy sailing our X-boat on the rippled water. This thought was too much. I decided then and there that I would walk right out of the store and grab the bus for the lake. At this point, however, a great big dollar sign popped up in front of my eyes and changed my mind for me. In this depressed mood I slouched on the desk and watched the smart clerks in their black dresses and pumps file by with clicking heels. With disgust I pictured myself in my simple cotton dress and strollers. The thought was appalling. I was startled out of my self-contemplation by the mournful clanging of the 8:30 bell. My heart sank as I spotted the first unwelcome customer strolling nonchalantly past the book departmengrunmindful of the agony he was causing. Reluctantly I hoisted myself out of my chair, and ambled over to him. I said in a voice which I hoped sounded more cheerful than I felt, May I help you? This was always a rather stupid question for me to ask, for I knew perfectly well that I wouldn't know where what he wanted Was, or if we had it, or probably I wouldn't even know what he was talking about. He asked for vertical, redrope file folders, legal size. I was stumped again. In a professional voice I replied that I would see, and I hurried over to a more capable clerk with my troubles. She took the customer, and I started my difficult task of dusting. s MARY STRINGER Form VI 26 THE FLAME

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I felt uncomfortably hungry and turned, frowning, to look outside. It had suddenly become much darker, and the red undersides of the clouds were obscured by the thick black coil of smoke, that twisted back from the engine and hung endlessly outside my window. Then once more I felt the train's speed begin to lessen. The smoothness was less evident and the clacking of the wheels became more and more distinct. Green and red lights flashed by, first quickly and then more lingeringly, until we stopped completely beneath the bright glare of several lights. St. Paul. St. Paul, shouted the porter, seizing his whiskbroom. I reached above my chair for my coat and purse. My coat was wrinkled and no amount of brushing by the porter improved its appearance. I collected my books and noticed that my French book was gone. I looked quickly about on the floor and under the seats. Someone tapped my shoulder then and asked, Are you looking for this? There was the army oflicer holding my French book out to me. We both laughed and he placed it on top of my other books. I started down the aisle and heard him say, Good-bye. Good-bye, I answered, following the porter. Gnonom RAY Form VI JE NE SUIS PAS SEULE OUT est paix et tranquillite dans la maison. Personne ne me dit bonjour quand j'entre. Tous les meubles sont en place, les coussins des chaises sont encore tout boufhs--personne ne s'y est assis. Peut-etre me pensez-vous triste dans ma solitude. Ne prodiguez pas votre sympathie. Ie ne le suis pas. Au contraire, ma chambre a coucher est tres bien peuplee, j'y ai quantitie d'amis qui m'y attendent. I'anticipe toujours le plaisir de les revoir. Peut-etre aimeriez-vous que jc vous les presente. Ie ne crois pas qu'ils en soient faches. Ie vous parlerai donc d'abord du plus gros de tous. Il a vraiment les oreilles grandes, mais on dit que c'est un signe de generosite, il a des moustaches, mais cela ne m'ennuie pas, ses grands yeux bleus sont toujours aux aguets. Il s'appelle .... Horatio. Passons au numero deux, celui-ci est doux, aimable, c'est un blanc. Son parler est un peu monotone et sa voix chevrotante, mais c'est sans doute parce qu'il devient vieux. Il faut respecter le vieil age. C'est Mervin. Et voila mon petit negre, Horner. Lui aussi a de grandes oreilles, mais elles sont pendantcs. Ete comme hiver, il est toujours habille de noir dans son long manteau de fourrure. Facilement content et toujours de bonne humeur. Ses yeux semblent etre en verre, mais cela ne les empechent pas d'etre affectueux et doux. Quant a mon prochain ami, il est en meme temps petit et grand. Sa tete est perchee sur un long cou. Ie n'ai jamais entendu la voix de mon ami, Wilbur. Et maintenant Ethcliff, il est natif de Perse, jaune, doux, et aime se promener la nuit sur les toits des maisons voisines. Mais faisons treve a ce bavardage--car vous avez certainement devine ma plaisantrie. Horatio est mon grand lapin, Mervin mon agneau cheri, Homer, mon chien 21 longs poils noirs. Mon ami it long cou est Wilbur, la giraffe. Quant at Ethcliff, c'est un chat de Perse. Voila donc ceux qui chassent les papillons noirs et sont de bonne compagnie. Neanmoins, pour moi, ce n'est pas une plaisanterie, parce qu'il n'y a rien de mieux que des amis silencieux, car ils sont toujours prets a recevoir mes confidences, a en garder le secret, ct a ne pas m'ennuyer de leurs conseils. Ils acceptent mes paroles sans les ques- tionner et si je veux leur consentement je suis toujours sure de l'obtenir. Sans crainte de les voir changer, je n'ai pas at rn'ajuster il leurs nouveaux caprices. Ils seront la demain comme ils eaient la hier. Ie changerai sans doute avec les annees mais eux ils me com- prcndront toujours, et patageront mes joies et mes tristesses. Manjonus Oxns Form VI 28 THE FLAME