Wakefield High School - Oracle Yearbook (Wakefield, MA)

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18 THE W. IT. S. DKI ' .ATKR Meanwhile, the Iwo on tlie stage niissino; the expected signal, waited a moment, then began to improvise and after floundering hopelessly were finally put on the right track by the prompter, and tied by the liaht of an imag- inary signal, happily leaving the audience unaware that anything was amiss. Half an hour later, the members of the oast had ap- peared befoi ' e the curtain for the last time, and were receiving the congratulations of intimate friends and of the committee, in the green room. In the midst of the hul)bub, a small, dusty tlgure emerged from beiiind a painted wall, and keeping a cautions eye on the chairman, waved aloft a long, black cylinder. I was there, Kitty announced defensively, l)ut this thing simply would not work ! Her loom mate pounced on her, revenge and dawning enlightenment in her e e. Where did you get thafr ' she demanded. On your dresser, of course. You said — The chairman prom|)tly collapsed on the manly shoulder of the hero. ' I ' he case to my thermos liottle, she nnninurcd faintly. Oh, Kilty, the next time, boirow Martha ' s spectacles ! There will not, said Kitty with dignity, be a next time. Social Conditions in the Eighteenth Century If anyone doubts tliat the world has jjrogresscd in the •■• last two centuries, he has but to take a liaekward look to the social conditions that existed in London in the time of good (. ueen Anne to be convinced of his mistake. The London of the eighteenth century was a small city : Covent (Jarden, Soho and Leicester Scpuires lu ' ing the centers of fashionable society. The streets were in a wretched condition, especially in the exc hange district. The small-wares were displayed at the edge of the side- walk, on immoveable carts, each peasant shouting the merits of his goods to attiact attention Conseciuently, there was continual crushing and noise, caused l)v the pedlars, beggars and musicians who ()ccui)icd every corner; the street crier, too, added his cru ' s to the din. The roads were very rough, with gutters running through the center, and always there were (piantities of dirt or nuid. Another very disagi ' eeable featuie of the streets were the writer spouts which in rainy weather ehcerfnlly splashed their torrents fiom the roofs to the sidewalk, completely drenching those passing. No lanlirellas were carried as great sport was made of them at this time. The shops were low, narrow and inconvenient, with the goods gaudily hung about, occupying every available s|)ace. However, the signs atoned for any deficiency in the shop : they were huge, elaborately carved and gilded, and usually stretched across the street. The coaches, too, were an interesting feature of the streets. The fashional)le time to drive was directly after dinner about three, and the fashionable coach was made of expensive wood and lining, drawn by not less than six horses. The hackney coaches and sedan chairs were heavily built to withstand jolting, but the riders found them to be mild forms of torture. The hackney coach had two horses and no glass windows : these were supplied by tin, with holes for ventilation. The sedan chairs, likewise, were most uncomfortable and dangerous because of the irregular trotting of the coolies. What little street lighting there was, was done by lanterns, but it was very dangerous to venlui ' e out after dark, as crime was rife. The cotfee houses were the great intellectual centers of the d:iy. It was here that the great men collected to discuss the vital matters of the moment, and here a great part of their time was spent. Many of these houses have become famous because famous men. such as Addi- son, (ioldsmilh and Dr. .Johnsun frecjuented them. The houses were of stone or biick, and usually of two stories, with stone steps, and small windows. The fur- niture was plain and stately : huge fireplaces were a feat- ure of each room. The most elaborate and expensive j)ieee of furniture was the lied, with heavy velvet or satin hangings, which were tightly drawn at night. For food they used meat, as we do loday, and all othei ' kinds of st)lid food ; theii ' favorite dish foi- dessert was pudding of any kind. Katuig and drinking was cariied to great excess, and intemperance was considered fash- ionable. A society man must, at least, be intoxieated once a day, to keep his fashionalile position. ' Ihe great reason, i)erhaps, for this excess in all things, was the careless regard in which the home was held, and the laxity of the marriage vow. People married very young, and nniny divorces were the eonse()ueiice. Love and respect for the home were lacldng, therefore there was aconse(|uent lack of respect toward law and modestv. For annrsement there were always the many clubs, the- atres and gardens. Very prominent among tlie latter were tlu ' famous ' auxliall (Jardeus, a x ' ery fashionable resort. They closely resembh ' d our fairs of today, with their many booths and atti ' actions. The dress of both men and women, at this time, Uiiist have been very picturesque. We lind it tin- custom for nu ' U to wear long, powdered wigs, curled and tied with ribbon. The nu ' u topped this with a velvet cocked hat, and the ladies with a iiigli bonnet or cap. ALiii w:is surely as :un as woman in those days, for he carried his

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THE W. II. S. DEBATER 17 The Event of a Night I TIF large, old fashioned house in which I was living;, A flanked, almost too cloi-ely, on one side by a siniilar residence and on the front and other side by a wide expanse of lawn and shrubberies, presented an un- usually beautiful ai)pearance that wintei ' s afternoon, for the ground was white with the snow which had been fall- ing during tiie night and most of the morning. It had been a dull and uneventful da} ' , and when night came, I went to bed with the added sense of security usually felt by one well sheltered from the elements. 1 seemed to have been asleep only a few moments when I was aroused by a sound of shouting and by a bright, red light, which siione persistently in my eyes. Dressing hastily I hurried out of doors. The next house was on tire and the yard was filled witl. fire apparatus, firemen, and a crowd of interested lookers on. The wind w:»s blowing ti gale and although the firemen did their best, the sparks were blown directly in our direction and soon the old f:n in house also was one mass of flames. On seeing our roof begin to burn, I went back into the house, got as many of my possessions as I could carry, and hurried out again. I wandered aimlessly al)out, dimly realizing the scene of destruction I was witnessing. At last, wearied by the excitement, I sat down on a pile of hose in front of the burning house. Suddenly I heard confused shouts and cries as from a great distance and looked up, to see a gieat blazing mass, tottering perilously above my head. I gazed up at it too dazed to move or speak. Flames were darting from every window and it was evident that the wall would soon fall. My fascinated eyes watchful it bend fartlier and farther at each blast of wind. Bits of burn- ing wood fell in a shower all around me. The flames mounted higher and higher and it became almost un- bearably hot. Now the ujiper i)art of the wull was crumbling, Iiending, falling, and I found myself drawn back just in time to escape the great, fiei ' y mass which came crashing down, barely missing some firemen who were standing near. After that the fire began gradually to die out, and at dayl)reak all that remained was a charred ruin like a great black smudge on the white surface of the surroimd- ing country. Ill Til Eaton, ' 16 Miss Ci.kmknt Let us see, who is ahseiit? Class Dillaway. ' Miss Clement Anyone else? Class Miss O ' Connor. ' Miss Clement Well, I wonder if that is eo-ineidental. Miss Gilmore to pupil Was selist Herr O ? . Pupil, somewiiat confused ' -leh — icli — dinna ken. The Light that Failed ON the darkened stage all was noise and confusion. The subdued hammering of the stage hands min- gled with the unseemly mirth of minor members of the cast, who, having few worries of their own, were prone to make merry at those of others. In front, the orches- tra was beginning the overture for the third time, and from the audience came soft murmurs and rustles of anticipation. At eight o ' clock the much talked of Senior Play was to begin, and it lacked only three minutes of the time. Just before the curtain rose, the distracted chairman of the committee burst into the green loom . Anybody here seen Kitty ? she demanded breath- lessly. Yes, volunteered the fiercely moustached villain, she was here a minute ago, but forgot her light and had to go back after it. Said to tell you not to worry, she ' d be here for the great act. Well, here ' s hoping, said the chairman, hopelessly. Having roomed with Kitty for a year she knew her well, and was beginning to rue the rash impulse that had made her entrust such an important part to that young lady. For Kitty ' s part, although her name did not appear on the program, was important. The pivot upon which the whole play turned was the flashing of a light, at the end of the second act, giving to the much persecuted hero and heroine the signal for escape. Kilty, as she herself, with reckless disregard for grammar and logic, expressed it, was the light. That is to say, she sat behind the scenes and at the critical moment flashed a large electric search-light, belonging to her room-mate, upon the field of action. It was perilously near the end of the second act, when a breathless girl, tightly clutching a black, cylindrical object, brushed by such members of the cast as were waiting in the wings, and cautiously ensconced herself in the narrow space between the painted wall of the scenery and the actual one of the house. There she crouched, haidly daring to move, and directing her burden towards the darkened stage, awaited her cue. The hero and heroine were discussing their chances of esrape, and the former in a near-bass voice, was speak- ing words of encouragement to his sweetheart, telling her of the light which a friend of his was to flash into their prison when the guard had become so conveniently inenpacitaled by wine and wassail as to make a dash for liberty expedient. ' ' — Now, at the end of the next line — Kitty slipped her finger over the smooth, hard surface of her light towards the button. There was no button there 1 Incredulously, with dawning terror, she felt again, — and again, with the same result.

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THK W. II. S. DKliATER 19 little minor and comb, and when in company, would comb and powder his wig — in fact, this was fashionable. He also wore coat, waistcoat, and knee breeches of very line mateiial, even though the color scheme was offensive to Ihe eyes. The ladies wore very full skirts and tight bodices, with quantities of expensive Inces. Fans and muft ' s were veiy fashional)le, the latter being carried by both ladies and gentlemen The system of education was poorly developed, for public schools had not yet been introduced. If one was so fort(matc as to be able to pay for his tutoring, his training was thorough, especially in the classics. How- ever, men alone were deemed worthy of education ; so if women weie frivolous and trifling, can we blame them, when they lived in an environment which encouraged this? Naturally, it follows that women had very little influence, and, as a result we have seen into what vice and intemperance, society fell. As in other matters. 1 fear religion was valued very little and its teachings loosely followed. Although the Episcopal church was the established church of England, many attended the Roman Catholic Church. The ser- mons were severely criticised, and as Johnson remarks, church was a place where people went to see what others wore. The corruption of the church at this time accounts for the little influence it exerted. In summing up the customs and accomplishments of ( ueen Anne ' s day, we must not judge too harshly. Per- haps if we had lived at the same time, among the same conditions, our histoiy would be the same. When we feel discouraged and think the world is going all wrong, let us just look back to the time of ( ueen Anne, and feel thankful that we live in the twentieth century, when we know that all ' s well in the world. Maugaret O ' Connor, ' 14 The Girls ' Debating Society I HE Girls ' Deflating society has had a properons ■ ■ year. Eighteen new members have been added to the society, making the total number of thirty-eight members. Since the last Debater came out seven regular meetings have been held, and in addition to these there have l)een two special debates in which members of our society have taken part. The debates have been as follows : — Thursday, Dec. IDth. Eesolved : That the Philippines should have their independence in five years. Affirmative side — Geneva Daland and Olive Pearson. Negative side — .Mildred Mcllet and Alice Brown. The judges decided in favor of the affirmative side. Monday, Jan. 12th. A joint debate between the Girls ' and Boys ' Debating societies on the suliject pre- viously mentioned. Affii-malive side — Marion Mansfield, Hildur Carlson, and Margaret O ' Connor. Negative side — Carroll Bonney, Raymond Griffin, and F.avle Stewart. The boys won by a very narrow margin. Thursday, Jan. 15th. Resolved: That examinations in the high school should be abolished. Affirmative side — Pauline Taft and Ruth Eaton. Negative side— Ethel McMaster and Pearl Jackson. The judges gave the debate to the negative side. Thursday, Feb. 19th. Resolved: That the printing press has done more service to the world than any other invention. Affirmative side — Hazel Barstow and Marion Kennedy. Negative side — Ruth Boarduian and Emma Crocker. The judges weie unable to couie to a decision and the deiiale was left a tie. Friday, Feb. 2 7th. A public debate in the town hall. Resolved: That the Wakefield lot is not a desirable location for the new high school. Our society was represented by Ethel Mc.M aster and Miua Harrison. Friday, Mar. 27th. Resolved : That life imprison- ment should take the place of capital punishment. Affirmative side — Cora Potter and Floience Kirk. Negative side —Alice Morrison and Marjorie Preston. The judges gave their decision to the negative side. Thursday, April 2nd. Resolved : That the President of the United States should be elected for a single term of six years. Affirmative side — Thelma Bridge and Helen Horton. Negative side— Margaret Clark and Marion Cardinal. The debate was very close, but tlie judges finally decid- ed for the affirmative side. Thursday, April 16th. Resolved: That immigration should be further restricted. Affirmative side — Hildur Carlson and Doris Vint. Negative side — Lucy Hanscom and Marjoiie Sweetser. The judges gave their decision to the negative side. Thursday, May 14th. Resolved: That the initiative and the referenduui should be adopted in Massachusetts. Affirmative side — Hazel Barstow and Olive Eager. Negative side — Pauline Taft and Velma Eaton. The judges decided in favor of the negative side. Two enjoyable social evenings have been held, one at the home of Marion Mansfield, and the other at the High School as the guests of the Boys ' Debating society. The society has elected its officers for next year as follows: — Thelma Bridge, President; Margaret Clark, Vice President; Hazel Barstow, Secretary; and Marjorie Sweetser, Treasurer. It is the earnest wish of all in- terested in the welfare of the society, that it will be a success under its new leaders and will enjoy many more years of success in the future. Ruth W. Boardman. Skcretary