Warren G Harding High School - Echoes Yearbook (Warren, OH)

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The CAULDRON Nineteen Thirty-eight THE CAULDRON English teachers contributed the themes from their classes judged most suitable for publication. Faculty members who assisted in the final selections include: Edith Pad- dack, Helen Ridgley, Augusta Barrick, Ruth Wheeler, and Emily Kaufman. The students who served as judges of con- tributions are: Dorothy Henry, Lillian An- tonelli, and Charles Woodcock from the Ian- uary Class: Eoline Newhouse, Iuanita Wil- liams, Bob Shape, and Bob Shoemaker from the Iune Class. ON READING Ioe Marzulla, Twelfth Grade An ordinary book lies on the library shelf. A brown hand, knotted from work, selects the book. His strong fingers open it: he glances through. Something within its covers appears to have cast a spell over him. He seats himself, still gazing intently at the page. In a few moments he is engrossed in his reading. Nothing seems to exist about him, except those printed words that he devours with his eyes so avidly. His fingers turn page after page eagerly. He is transformed from an ordinary villages and people come before him. Blue oceans with their rolling waves are sailed over. This panorama holds him spellbound. For several hours he is in the deepest form of ecstasy, completely unaware of his sur- roundings. Then slowly he finishes the book. He closes it reluctantly, like a traveler who is sorry that his trip is over. He sits there pensively, still wrapped in thought. Imaginary dreams had come to life, and he is happy. He had been worker into ct handsome prince. His calloused hands have changed. They are slender, almost effeminate. His wrists are supple and strong. Excellent they are for sword fighting. His soiled denim overalls have been exchanged for all the finery of a prince-velvet trousers, a bright silk cape about his shoulders, a rapier dangling at his side. His speech is faultless, and his courte- ousness is a pleasure to behold. The fair maiden is in danger: to her rescue he comes, with rapier flicking and darting in cr dazzling manner. Beautiful countries with rolling hills and snow-capped mountains are visited. Quaint in a magic world, but it is not lost. He is glad, knowing that he can get another book and visit other places just as beautiful. This lights his eyes with satisfaction and content- rnent. His fingers caress the worn surface, as he returns it gently to its resting place. Then the ticking of a clock brings him back to a corporate existence. He is again garbed as an ordinary worker. Tired from his day's work, he prepares to leave. His face is smil- ing, and his eyes are alight. He has been away from the cares and worries of the world: he had drowned them in that little red book. A STUDENT'S SWAN SONG Betty Yoho, Eleventh Grade On school-days, when the last bell clamors at three forty-five, I, like all other high school students, rush to my locker, grab my coat, and with great anticipation set out for home. Can you guess the cause of my avidity? I am going to a movie or a dance, you say? No, not on your life! I am anxiously looking forward to an entire evening of homework. You know, there's nothing like an evening spent over a stack of books to give you that bloom of youth. My expectation is even greater on Friday. Each teacher, seemingly forgetful of the fact that we have other studies, presents us with an assignment that is like a club sandwich fthree in onel. Since such things as movies, 96 sled-riding, ice-skating, bicycling, and other sports do not exist, and we pupils have no- thing else to do, we accept our allotment with open arms and graciously thank the teachers for donating it to us. To me the most attractive feature of home- work is that it is the heaven-sent obstacle which everlastingly bars me from interest- ing experiences the rest of my family enjoys. There is also the exaltation that comes from eagerly awaiting a club meeting for two whole weeks and then having to miss it be- cause of homework. So, I join with my fellow students in say- ing, We want more homework!

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The CAULDBON Nineteen Thirty-eight AN AMUSING MISUNIDERSTANDING Harris Martin, Twelfth Grade 3,5 Our first cat was born a Hoosier. I if She never was named until she pre- lim sented us with her first litter of kit- tens. Thenceforth, she was known as Mama to us and all who knew her. It seems that one of us was always being embarrassed by that poor choice of name. For instance, my sister was walking with my mother one day, when suddenly, sis yelled, Oh, look! There goes a cat that looks just like Mama! Perhaps the funniest of all misinterpreta- tions happened when a friend informed me that our cat had been run over up the street. I went up, and sure enough, there was a cat which could easily have passed for Mama. So I immediately called Dad at the office CI was a big man of eight years at the timel. The nurse answered the 'phone, and stated that my father was busy: so I said, When you see him, please tell him that Mama has been killed. The nurse was all a-flutter, and asked me to hold the line, while she called Dad to the 'phone. I repeated the message, and the nurse stood by, stupefied at Dad's hard-heartedness when he answered, So Mama's dead? Hmmmm, that's too bad. Well, put her in the back yard, and l'll bury her when I come home. Then Dad calmly returned to his pa- tient, and Nursy was about ready to quit. However, Mama was to live many years longer, for I had just dragged the dead cat home when lVIama came trotting nonchalant- ly up on the porch, meowing for her dinner. The time came when Mama disappeared, and we never saw her again until the follow- ing Spring. People still chuckle when I tell how I found Mama in Mr. Hunt's flower gar- den, and told him to spade her under, rather than drag her scanty remains home. So Mama finally ended her eventful life as fertilizer for a bed of delphiniums. SEEK! AND YE SHALL FIND Dick Roderick, Twelfth Grade Did you ever have a nightmare that was so bad that it stayed with you for a long time? I had one last night that will grow to be a man with me. First of all, I must relate the events that led up to this dream. People always say that bad dreams are caused by eating things before going to bed, although I am sure that that is not the cause in my case. I admit that I ate a few things before I turned in, but they were all things that I liked. Before coming home, I had swal- lowed a nut-mallow sundae and a glass of buttermilk: then at home I had added a liver- wurst sandwich and a glass of cider. I went to bed feeling fine! During my sleep, a man came up to me and asked me if I would like to join the Goophound Geological Survey Expedition. I said I would like nothing better, so in due time, I was on my way with the expedition, looking for a teacher's brain. . After four days of seeking, we came upon a freshly severed head and gained entrance through the left nostril. Up until this time, I have neglected to men- tion our height, which is very indefinite, but I may state that we were exiled from the Isle of Lilliput as midgets. Therefore, this head looked immense to us. We journeyed up the nostril till we came to the eye muscle mountains. Going over these, We could see that they were in good condition from a good deal of use. Evident- ly, this teacher had kept a sharp lookout on her pupils. Proceeding, we came upon the chamber in which the brain should have been kept. I say should have been , be- cause we were there for over two months and didn't see a brain. Finally, very dis- couraged, We began our journey homeward. It was about five minutes after we had left the brain chamber that a yell was heard. I found it! I found it! Immediately the man who had yelled was surrounded. He ex- tended to the chief of the expedition his hand, on which there seemed to be a small dot. Then he proceeded to tell us how he had found the brain, for brain it was. He had been walking along, when he had dropped his collar button. He had bent over to look for it, but could not see it: so he had put on his glasses. It was then that he had discovered the brain. It was marvelous! Hereafter, I shall always believe that a teacher has a brain. 97