Varina High School - Varinian Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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e UI certainly would like to know Why Alice Smith, I-Iarold Cooper, Thomas Cooper, Wesley Burnett and Elijah Throckmorton, left our ranks ?,' asked Rachel. They must have found other occupations they liked better, anyway outside of teasing I think we spent an uneventful term as Freshmen, and gladly we passed into our Sophomore year. VVe were glad to know that Rachel remembered all her former classmates. John, now came in from the dining room, I think, for he had a piece of cake and a sandwich in his hands, Weren't we something when we were Sophs. But then I don't suppose we were any sillier than any others, do vou ? Didn,t we have a favorite song that year? asked Bernetta. I should say so! You remember the day Miss Sutphin, who had taken Miss Shelbourne's place, had us sing 'The Star Spangled Banner,' before those teasing Seniors, after having studied it about three days for English ? Mr. Baker certainly did like to blame us for everything that went wrong. You know he told us we had too much hot air. I certainly would like to know how Forrest happened to be called 'Fleef Can anybody tell me P' John, between bites of sandwich, answered, I think it was because he was so small and you know he could always slip around so easily. You remember, of course, our famous Athletes started to work in our Sopho- more year. Again Rachel was thinking of her classmates. We didn't lose a single member that year-yes I remember now, for Norman Finnegan dropped out, Hershel Carver moved away, and -. Mitchel Barlow thought he had better begin his work in the business world, came from John, who always liked to interrupt. So with our class of twenty-one we finished our Sophomore year with few honors. g We were grown up young people in our Junior year, weren't we ? said our hostess, who had left the other guests for a few minutes. You know, we had three new teachers-Miss Stone, Miss Summers, and Mr. Anderson-only Mr. Baker and Miss Stoneman returned from the year before. Can't you hear Miss Summers now, telling us as we were the biggest babies she had ever seen, and can't you see Mr. Anderson, who was just so dignified, that our behavior shocked him P There were a number of new pupils to enter that year, remembered Bernetta. Mary Clark took up her work in another school, but two joined us from Montrose and eight from Glendale, making a total of thirty-two. Helen Reed and Helen Vest moved away, Oscar Pierce, Evelyn Whitlock, Edgar Frayser, Philip I-Iobson, Byron I-Iubbard, I-Iarold I26l

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e WE QD 'fc-is X l K jf Y ' I K' l - N ' ' .:::grg ,Ju 41- rj 'Y' tffatye fmldfiea 5. 5 5,1 J' I . alllll l llmf 5 ESQ ,+I if 'A +9 -1- - an Iii beniur fllllass Ziaistnrp S 1 my 5' PON going to my room at a hotel in New York, after having traveled abroad, I found an invitation to a tea to be given by Miss Isabelle Whitlock, a famous actress. At first only the name was familiar, then the thought came to me that she MQQQFT'-83, was a classmate at v. H. s. with pleasure tht invitation was accepted and anxiously I awaited the time. Days seemed months, yet Hnally the afternoon did come, and as I entered the room, much to my surprise, I found other schoolmates were also present. So it was a tea which gathered together the class of 1925. At first the topic of conversation was New York, with its shows, styles and other things of interest, but before long we began to recall former days. Don't you remember when we were 'rats ? asked Virginia. 'iVVhy certainly, I repliedg Hit seems as if it were only yesterday that the sun was shining clear and the gentle breezes tried their best to lessen the intense heat, as the twenty-eight young hearts, proud and happy, entered the doors of V. I-I. S. to complete the task set before them. Myl Didn't the teachers have patience to drill us in the work?l' This from lNIary Stoneman. They certainly did! I shall never forget the soul warming smiles with which they welcomed us, and how they drilled us so we could beat the upper classmen in our first debate. At this time Margie, from the other side of the room asked, f'Who were the teachers? Mr, Baker, Mr. Rice, Miss McCraw, Miss Shel- bourne, and Miss Stonemanf' was the reply. I 25 l

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WE Jester and Effie Love, decided they liked other things better than school and left us. uWe surely did learn what work was that year,', added lVIargie. VVork always interested John, so he added, f'Yes we did for it was debates, speeches and programs all the time, and then those wonderful men of literature to think aboutfl Bernetta put thoughts of hard work out of our heads by saying, As June rolled around there were twenty-three of us left, wondering what the next June would find us doing, and wasn't our last school vacation the shortest of all ? f'Probably it was to some, said lVIargie, but I was anxious to come back a dignified Senior, weren't you ? That year, put in Rachel, 'ffound few changes on our roll, Frances Vanderoff, for some reason did not return, Kate Dorton left us after a few months, and Laura Guy went to business school after the first term to finish her work there, aren't these all? UI-Iow about our faculty ?', asked Bernetta. This time John spoke, lVlrs. Dorey was added and Mr. Abernathy took lVIr. Anderson's place, otherwise it was the same. But we had one surprise from the faculty, the marriage of Miss Stoneman. It was a surprise, but you know she talked rather queer one day in Civics class. We were glad she was so happy, to us she always seemed that way.'l Talking about debates and speeches in the Junior year, we certainly had them in our fourth year, recalled Virginia, who had been too busy listening to talk much. Yes, I answered, but I think we all were benefited by it, for we had boys and girls to represent us in debates, public speeches and orations, in different contests. Just think of honors won by members of the Athletic teams ln f'Girls, our hostess interrupted, 'fcome now tea is ready. Now the days have passed that were the happiest for each one of us, and we are now embarking on life's busy sea. lNIay these last voyages be as full of happiness, brightness and good service as the last years at the V. I-I. S., rambled on Bernetta. f'Let's finish our talk in the dining room, said John, who was becom- ing impatient, You haven't seen the things I have, or you would have stopped talking long ago-we may eat now and not receive demeritsf' -IVIARGARET CoUs1Ns, Historian. IZ7 l