Towson University - Tower Echoes Yearbook (Towson, MD)

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- -A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS-- OW WELL I REMEMBER THAT DAY before last Christmas Eve! Ev, my girl friend, and I were standing on the deck of the Bay ferry, watching the blustering wind ruffle the water into white caps, which splashed the sides of the laboring ferry. It was quite rough sailing-windy and wet, with the ferry cumbersomely ploughing into one trough of water, then another. The sky was icy gray, streaked with yellow and with little black puEs of clouds scudding back and forth overhead. When the ship docked and we began to walk the country back- roads to the farm, Hakes of snow were already begin- ning to drift silently down, settling on the barren landscape, with its gaunt bare trees and bushes-the empty furrowed brown fields. We'd be glad to get to the farm and settled in the little house, pockmarked with the storms and winds of the years. just the housekeeper would be there when we arrived, and Queenie, the collie dog. They'd welcome us with light and warmth and food. We'd put our packages of supplies and Christmas gifts on the hearth, and after warming up a bit We'd go out into the storm again, to our neighbor's house, a mile away. Our lirst Christ- mas on an isolated farm! It sounded like fun-but how exciting it was to be we had no way of knowing. The Dawsons were our nearest neighbors. Mr. Dawson was an oiler on a Merchant Marine tanker and, they believed, was now on his way over-seas. Mrs. Dawson was running the farm alone and taking care of Irma and Ben, the two children. We were to share our Christmas with them-help them trim the tree and open the gifts at midnight. We had planned to leave for the Dawson farm about seven o'clock, taking the stable lantern and a flashlight with us. The drifts would not be too deep by then, and if the storm became worse, we could stay overnight. We were pre- paring to leave when the telephone rang. I remember being surprised at the time that the telephone lines weren't down. We waited to see who could be call- ing, and the white face of the housekeeper, after she had answered, warned us that something was wrong. I grabbed the telephone and said, Yes, who is it? A small scared voice came thinly over the line-a voice I recognized as belonging to seven-year-old Ben Dawson. He was half crying. Mommy's so still-she won't wake up. I know she's awful sick, 'cause she kept her hand to her side and kept moaning and tellin' me to call somebody quick. All right, Ben-we'll come right away! Keep your 4 mother covered up, and we'll get a doctor and get there as soon as we can. Help us to-Hello, hello! The line went dead. Quick, Ev! Walk down to Fox's I turned to Ev. store and get him to take his car and drive me to Stevensville for Dr. james. The line's out. I'll go to Dawson's and see what I can do for her until the Hurry! doctor gets there. We hurried out into the storm and the blizzard seemed to increase in fury. My coat and boots were heavy with snow and my eyelashes frozen together by the time we reached the other farm. Ev went on ahead to see about the doctor. Neither the lantern nor the flashlight helped much, for the wind was blowing handfuls of snow into the feeble light. Ben was watching at the window and hurried to open the door-tow-headed Ben, still showing a trace of his summer tan. But he was frightened now almost to the point of panic. As I stepped inside, I looked around quickly. Mrs. Dawson was a still, dark, huddled mass on the living-room couch. The fire in the room's pot-bellied stove had died down and the room was lighted by a small kerosene lamp on the old-fashioned roll-topped desk. The room was chill and dark, and groping shadows stole out from the corners, merging with other shdows thrown out by the furniture. The naked, untrimmed tree stood in a corner of the room, looking forlorn and dispirited. Scattered balls and unopened packages cluttered the floor around it. There were just three sounds, the tick of the kitchen wall-clock, the sputtering of a piece of green kindling in the stove, and, from a darkly hidden chair, the muffled sobs of a frigtened child. That's Irm crying, said Ben, trying to muster up a last shred of courage. I'll see about her later. Right now we're got to look after your mother. Go get some kindling wood from the shed and bring it in here. Don't get it wet. Mrs. Dawson was not asleep, but was almost un- conscious with pain. It looked like appendicitis to me. I had Ben pump some water fnom the kitchen sink and applied towels to Mrs. Dawson's hot fore- head. The house was beginning to warm up, but I was plenty worried. What if Ev had been lost in the storm? The drifts were almost up to the windows by now and snow' was pelting down harder every minute. Could the doctor get through to us? I tried to put such things out of my mind, but there wasn't much I could do, and I had more than enough time to think- with that white wall of silence cutting us ol? from THE TOWER LIGHT

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G.I. E WERE VERY PROUD TO HEAR THAT MA- jor Ioshua Wheeler has received the Bronze Star Medal. Iosh, a member of the Class of '35, was awarded the medal at an Eighth Air Force Bomber Station in England. The citation accompanying the decoration read: For meri- torious achievement in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States. Good work, Major Wheelerl Lieutenant Cs.g.j Rebecca C. Tansil, U.S.N.R., attended the September graduation at the College and was back for another visit in October. The Glee Club got lots of new Navy songs fall with a Southern accentj, If we could all look as dashing as she, our registrar would have an easier job re- cruiting WAVES than she had recruiting students for S.T.C. We were pleased and surprised to be visited by Lieutenant Crook. Our former science instructor is now stationed in Washington, D. C. That glitter about him was caused by a brand new silver bars. It was good to see Lieutenant Crook at home in the science corridors - wasn't it? l Lieutenant Ken Martin of the Class of '43 was among re- cent visitors at S.T.C. His remark Was: Things at College are much the same -despite the lack of males. Our remark is: That is an entirely masculine point of view. Ken is sta- tioned at Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin, doing work on radio and related matters. ' L P We were also glad to welcome Lieutenant A. H. Baer, Class of '34, who is now at Base Classification, Langley Field, Virginia. Private Stan Mullineaux, who served for many years as State Officer, is now located in the Deshon General Hospital, Butler, Pennsylvania. We were pleased to have him as a visitor recently. 4 fWhat is there about our returning G.Ifs that is so fascij nating? It must be that man about camp looklj Bring CFS Home with 6th War Loan OCTOBER - 1944 CLUBS-l' HE CLUBS HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE THIS summer. In fact, so active that some of -the clubs that have been hibernating came out and showed themselves for the first time in ages. No names will be mentioned, please! If you hear, 'Tm not going to Glee Club practice this after- noon, don't believe a word of it. Every member is there or else - or else she's escorted personally by Miss Weyforth. From the results shown at graduation of summer practicing, one can easily see that none of the members had missed one Monday's afternoon of vocalizing. Perhaps they did miss one, the afternoon that Miss Weyforth gave a delightful picnic in the Glen for her loyal members. The Natural History Group fulfilled its promise and held another breakfast be-tween the trees and the boids. As usual, 'everyone had a super time -- especially the girls who took the science elective. They proved themselves to be quite competent ornithologists while leading the rest of the group on a bird walk before breakfast. The Marshalls have been doing a bit of celebrating also. One Wednesday afternoon they put aside their window sticks and attendance slips, and paraded to the shelter armed with ginger ale, cup cakes, peaches and a guest, Betty Muss- ington. The main event of the afternoon was the giving of awards. Betty Mussington and Mary Shipley received a TC pin for two years of service and Dorothy Beatty an MTC pin for three years of service. If you're planning to go to the convention which the In- ternational Relations Club attends every year, you had better be looking for notice of the next meeting. At the meeting of the I.R.C. this summer it was decided that anyone who does not attend the next meeting of the group will be unable to attend the convention, which will be held some place in Pennsylvania this fall. As you know, these conventions are loads of fun so be sure not to miss the next meetings. Every- one is invited to attend. The Student Christian Association has been entertaining again. The entire club threw a party in the dorm for .the dorm students one night. The most distinguished of the lat- ter wore housecoats, While others were seen in shorts and abbreviated PI's. The Athletic Association was really on the ball this se- mester. A very extensive program was not only planned but also carried out. We can't offer enough thanks to Mary Ellen Perrin, Mr. Minnegan and the rest of the A.A. Board for making so many activities possible. Included in the sports were tennis, archery, and soft ball. 3

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everything but God. God ! I began to pray as hard as I'd ever done before. No. I didn't get down on my knees, but I prayed silently. Please God, hear me now! Don't let Mrs. Dawson get any worse! Make the doctor hurry! Please, God! I think some tiny hope in miracles kept us going as the minutes ticked around the kitchen clock. The children were getting restless-Irm was beginning to whimper again. I wasn't able to do much for Mrs. Dawson, so I turned to the children. How about trimming the tree? Your mother would like to see it all finished before the doctor gets here, I'm sure. They agreed and the tree began to bloom like a flower, first with balls, then tinsel. The kerosene lamp shone on it and it sparkled into a haloed triangle. The children quieted down, became interested in their fascinating work Mrs. Dawson rallied a bit. I bent low over her, and she murmured in semi-delirium asking if we could sing Christmas carols. We began with Silent Night, Holy Night. The children's sweet young faces and voices seemed to give deeper meaning to the comforting message, and to lend some sort of calm to the harassing situation. Mrs. Dawson at last fell into a troubled doze. The doctor came about an hour later, took one look at the patient, and decided that he must operate immediately-one of the many kitchen-table emergencies the country phy- sician must face. Ben and Irma were becoming frightened again, so while Ev helped Dr. James, I put them to bed, with promises that Santa Claus would surely visit them be- fore morning. Poor tykes, they were exhausted, and fell asleep immediately. One of the hardest things I had to do was resist the temptation of crawling into bed myself. But I dragged downstairs to help as much as I could. Ev was holding a flashlight for the doctor, for the glow from the kerosene lamp was too feeble for the delicate operation. lt was like a bad night- mare-so vivid and grotesque, and seemingly so long, although over so quickly. When Mrs. Dawson was in bed and the red swabs and gauze cleaned from the floor and table, Dr. James left us with careful direc- tions, saying he would come early next morning. All night, Ev and I took turns watching Mrs. Daw- son. Though tired, we were relieved and happy in the knowledge that it would not be too sad a Christ- mas, after all. By morning, Mrs. Dawson was completely out of danger. The doctor brought her more good news in a letter he had picked up at the general store, giving her word of Mr. Dawson's safe arrival overseas. DECEMBER - 1944 As Ben and Irma put it, when they opened their gifts, Gosh, we're pretty lucky after all. Santa took care of just everything! Yes, he did, I assured them. And don't forget that God helped us all, and that He will always help us all! EILEEN LYNCH Clubs HE MEMBERS OF THE LITTLE THEATER Guild have rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work. A committee is cleaning out the costume room Cwhich most of us didn't know existedj in the Ad Building. Now don't think they're not doing any- thing in the line of drama. The members are planning a program to be at a Christmas assembly. They also have visions of presenting a play in the spring. Having the twenty some Goucher girls on the campus with us has brought about a feeling of, Gee, you're nice, I want to get to know you better. The Hockey game held Wednesday, November 15th helped our girls to really get acquainted with some of the Goucher girls. After the game the Athletic Associa- tion provided cider and doughnuts for the players. By the way, the score was one to one. The Natural History Group wasn't satisfied with furnishing those deligtful breakfasts which we en- joyed so much in the Glen. The members gave a supper with Mother Nature as hostess one evening and talk about fun! And the food? Delicious! Although the orchestra hasn't made an official ap- pearance since the Clubs Assembly last month, it has been functioning, and very well too. The member- ship has increased just about double. One little blonde senior has even taken to playing the trumpet. If you just can't wait for the orchestra to make a public appearance stop outside the auditorium some Friday morning between eight and nine and you'll hear some music what sends you. Mrs. Cuthbertson, secretary of the Middle Atlantic region of the Student Christian Movement, visited the campus this month to talk with and advise the officers and members of the S.C.A. Mrs. Cuthbert- son gave some very helpful suggestions to the Student Christian Association for spreading its membership to the day students of this college. To start this move- ment the S.C.A. presented a chapel assembly. 5