Vandergrift High School - Spectator Yearbook (Vandergrift, PA)

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17 THE SPECTATOR “Yep, but it ain’t quite as bad as to'ther night, when I had ter go out fer pop to fetch in some wood and it were pretty nine-thirty” replied Henry. “Ma and Pa went over to Hiram •lone's to see their new baby, but they ain’t back yet-and our wood has to be fete bed in--would you mind fetchin it in fer me Henry ?”--asked Maria. Of course Henry consented. After he had help brighted up the fire and they went to sit down on the sofa, Henry noticed the yellow book peeping out from in under the cushion- “My goodness Maria, you’re gettin’ right up in society now, reading yeller covered books” Maria never answered but turned what seemed to her a million dicerent colors. When Henry saw her he too dropped his head and kept furtively try -ing to look through the cushion and see the subject of the book. At last he picked up enough courage to lift up the book—When he saw ‘‘How to Make a Man Propose,” he thought he was seeing things but after he had stared awhile he assumed himself that his eyesight was perfectly all right. “Why — er—• er — is this yours Maria?” “U—U—why—yes” she stammered. Do do—do— you really —m—m mean it—or are you just f—f—fooling me?” Maria could not answer him but just dropped her head—he knew she meant it—after a pause she said— “Well Henry this is what yer call Leap Year and I was thinkin’ you wouldn’t ask me that I’d ask you— but I guess I won’t now.” Henry took her hand in his and said— “Maria—I really meant ter ask yer but it just slipped my memr’y—but will yer fergive me and marry me—n —n—next week?” Her head fell on Henry’s shoulder and—well it would be telling on Maria and Henry if I’d write any more. HARRIETT WITHI.VGTON, ’20. “LOVE’S OLD SWEET SONG.” • This happened “Long Long Ago.” He met her in “Killarney” as she was riding down the lane in the “Low-backed car.” When the horse stumbled, she cried, “O Dear What Can the ■lattir Be?” “Pa. don Madam, I’m ‘Robin Adair,’ let me help you.” “Oh! she smiled coyly, ‘We’d Better Bide a Wee.” It was a wonderful night; “The Evening Star” was high in the heavens by the time they were “Homeward Bound.” “Tell me, your name, sweet-hear-,” said Robin. “It’s Kathleen Mavoureen,” an-sweied she. That was the beginning of “Love’s Young Dreams.” One day he said sadly. “I must go back to ‘My Ain Country. My regiment is called to the front. ‘Goodby, Sweetheart, Good-by.’ ” She went down to her home on the “Beautiful Isle of the Sea” and waited with “The Old Folks at Home” for the return of her lover. Day after day she sat “With Head Bowed Down and thought of her bon-nie laddie who was now “A Thousand Leagues Away.” One day she was sitting by the “Sad 3ea Waves,” and along came “Peter Grey ” with a letter. “The Campbells are Coming,” cried Peter waving the letter. Kathleen read a part of the letter aloud: “When This Cruel War Is Over,’ I’ll be 'Home Again.' then we’ll be married in ‘The Sweet By and By' and move to ‘America.’ ” Old “Peter Grey shouted, “Hurrah, it’s The Dearest Spot on Earth.’ Three cheers for ‘The Red, White, and Blue. ” “Robin Adair” came back and they nere married in “The Little Brown Church in the Wildwood.” Ever after they lived happily in the “Little Grey Home in the West.” estella mcdermott—’2i.

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16 THE SPECTATOR He could walk and make it appear that the log was drifting. He started and walked with only his nose and eyes out of the water. The Indians shot at the log but, as all seemed to be a log ought to seem, they left it pass. When Hanna was out of sight of the savages he raised himself and got out and walked on the road. -------oo------- THE HISTORY OF ST. VALENTINE’S DAY. Scotland and England. Every year a number of maidens and unmarried men gather together. Then each man draws a girl’s name and each girl draws a man's. The person whose name he or she draws is his or her valentine. By custom, he must treat her and give balls in her name. I ydgate, a poet, who died in 1440, is one of the earliest known writers alluding to St. Valentine's Day. Shakespeare, Chances and Donne also have written about it. Some very interesting customs of St. Valentines Day are found recorded in “Pepy's Diary.” And so Valentine's Day has come down to us through the ages, customs ever changing, until today we buy a valentine, put it into an envelope, put a stamp on it, throw it carelessly iuto a mail bax and think no mo e about it. ESTHER McDOWEI.L, ’20. --------oo-------- “WAITING” Maria sat waiting in the parlor very patiently reading a book on “How to Make a Man Propose. Yes, it was true, Henry was coming to call, this evening. Her sky-blue dress was stiff with starch, and when she sat down it stood out like a baloon. Her yellowish hair was combed back very slick, and not a hair was out of place, or over her ear. Maria had read her book over and over again and practiced all the affectionate and loving parts in front of her dresser mirror every night. Whenever Henry was to come, she would be all dressed up before six-forty-five, and begin her book. Alone, the fateful hour, seven-thirty, and a knock a the door. Excitedly Maria shoved her book under a cushion on the sofa, not noticing that the one corner of the bright yellow book was uncovered. Henry, it was sureenough and he certainly did look handsome, Iiis fiery red hair lying perfectly flat after being greased with vaseline, and My! but his celluloid collar did shine and look pretty. He sat on one end of the sofa and Maria on the other, but he was sitting near the book. “Ain’t it rather chilly out. Henry? asked Maria. As February 14th draws near, we see displayed in the majority of the store windows, beautiful valentines, colored with bits of gold and tinsel with tiny fat angels on them. Now and then, we find a queer one, a cartoon with silly verses. At this time of the year, we love to send these to our friendsiand enemies,) yet, I believe there are only a very few of us who know the history of this day. Long, long ago the pagans were accustomed to assemble together and spend the greater part of the month of February in feasts, given in honor of Pare and Juno. February itself gets it's name from the Latin for Juno. At these feasts, the names of the maidens were writen down, and then maides were written down, and then each of the unmarried men drew a name. This custom often resulted in a love affair. But when Christianity came to Rome, the priests tried to abolish the pagan custom as much as possible. This custom however puzzled them. About the third century, in the month of February, a priest by the name of Valentine met with a horrible death. He was fjrst beaten almost to death and then beheaded. His' remains are preserved in the church of St. Praxedes at Rome, where a gate has been named for him. To these old pavan customs which could not be abolished altogether, the priests tried to give Christian names, and since the February feast and the death of the priest Valentine, occurred at almost the same time, they decided to call the day of feasts “St. Valentine’s Day. Thus began the day, dear to so many countries. Of the many customs remaining, I might mention a very pretty one still preserved in

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THE SPECTATOR THE BELATETD VALENTINE. It was during the noon recess and the country school-house was humming with the noise made by several scores of bright-eyed boys and girls. All were busy giving the finishing touches to valentine packages which were later on to be dropped in the box used as a post-office and then distributed among the children. Leaning on several of the more isolated desks, solitary boys could be seen furtively sealing and addressing large envelopes. These, they dropped into the box at' the first opportunity of doing so unobserved. At last the bell sounded, summoning the pupils to their lessons and silence fell except for occasional whispers and suppressed giggles. To accentuate the stillness, the loudly ticking clock slowly marked the dragging minutes. Many were the longing glances cast at the clock face and many sighs were audible as the children watched the hands slowly creeping round the dial. Finally as the hands pointed to three o’clock the teacher laid aside her textbook and declared the lessons for the dav to be at an end. Johnny Clements had been chosen posit-master and now with witty sayings and actions that sent the children into gales of laughter, he distributed the valentines. “A heart for Harriet,” he would say presenting a young girl with a heart-shaped fancy. “Some one is before me in everything. “Oh! If I could only get hold of his collar. “Here is a Red Riding Hood one for you, Francis. “Here is one for you Ruth, all sealed up tight so no one can peep. Oh! Hurry and open it” “Gee, here is a whale of a big one for you Bob. Lucky Kid!” And so it went until the box was empty. All the children were so happy too. They were laughing and running from one desk to another to see what the others had gotten and to display their own gifts. At a little desk near the front of the room, a tiny girl, Martha Grimm, who could not run around like the other girls because of being crippled in an automobile accident was happily displaying her valentines to the admiring group of girls around her. 18 Every face beamed with happiness except for those two boys who were sitting on one of the corner desks. “Gee, Dale,” said the older of the two, a mischievous lad of twelve. “You don’t suppose Miss Arnold got hold of that, do you?” “Huh! It was sealed tight, wasn’t it? So nobody could see what was in the envelope. Sure, she has pretty sharp eyes but you don’t need to tell me she 'could see what was in that blue envelope.” “I know, but maybe she suspected something from the expressions on our faces when we were fixing it.” “Dunno. But we’ll soon know. It is nearly four o’clock and school will soon he dismissed.” The two boys parted and joined separate groups of children, langhing and chatting with the rest. Soon four o’clock arrived and the children gathering together their valentines and donning their wraps prepared to derart. Miss Arnold, resuming her place by her desk said “Well, children I am sure we are all pleased with our pretty valentines and I am so glad that none of you have hurt the feelings of another by any tricks. I am certainly pleased with all of my boys and girls and I want to thank you for my pretty . valentines. They were all so pretty. “I will dismiss you now except for Dale and Paul whom I would like to see after school.” The two boys cast understanding glances at each other. “I see where I get mine,” said Dale with a short laugh but Paul, never answering slunk lower in his seat. In a few minutes all the pupils but Dale and Paul had left the building and Miss Arnold came back from watching them march out. “Now, boys,” she said, “don’t think that you will be obliged to stay and help me but I would like you to help me put the room in order.” The relief the two boys felt at hearing these words can only be imagined. Soon they were working with a will to set the room to rights and laughing over the various happenings of the afternoon.