Watkins Glen High School - Senecan Oracle Yearbook (Watkins Glen, NY)

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THE ORACLE. 15 EDITORIALS. Just a few words to the public. Place Watkins High School, in the cozy corner of your heart, (live it your support. If there are imperfections in its makeup, do not advertise them; eradicate them. The elimination of these evils really does lie with the parents of the students, you know. It is from these that the students gain their attitude. If the parent thinks his child lias been unjustly paddled, that child immediately maintains the belief that the faculty are really unjust, cruel monsters. And that view would be intolerable. The best move for parents, then, is to support the faculty in every move. Few mistakes are made by them and thus you do not go very far wrong. Students, support the school. Do not say: “We have no spirit; other schools have, while we —.” If you are going to preach school spirit by telling a fellow where other schools excel you destroy, not gain that invaluable quality—school spirit. If this, the school paper, has little of good in it, remember that the editors can edit only what the student body provides. It is recommended by the dignified Seniors that all students comport themselves with more dignity. The bearing of some of the students is so lacking in that virtue as to be careless, hence disrespectful, and therefore discourteous. Courtesy must be maintained. ---------o------- FIRST HONOR STORY. If there's anything on this earth that I abominate it s a bashful man. He is a dreadful trial to have around and the way lie upsets things, and raises Cain generally, is enough to decompose the nu st steady-nerved woman on the face of the earth. Silas Hopkins is a bashful man. I nc ei seen one more bashfuller. He don t know what to do with his hands, In can't find a place for his feet, nor he don't know where to put his hat; and if he was to die. to navigate a room without upsetting something, he can't. I'd as lief see a cyclone in my parlor as to see him. Silas hasn t got no bad streaks, he don't drink, nor chew nor buy ottymobiles, nor ride biscykles, but can't seem to get by anything without hittin- it. and knockin' it on the floor. Just about two months ago, Silas he fell in love with our Jane Ellen, and took to coinin’ to our house regular. Sometimes he’d only just walk past and look at the house, and sometimes he'd ring the bell and then get scart and run like lightning down the steps, but at last he got up courage enough to come light m. The first time he come in he put his hat down on the table in the entry, then lie grabbed it up again, and then he put it down and grabbed onto Ellen's and it came way down over his eyes, and he walked rite into a Japan screen that Jane Ellen had been paintin’ with roosters and llurr-deelis, and billious looking peacocks, and stove a hole clean through it, and Rut wasn’t Jane Ellen hoppin mad? She called him ail awkward jack-

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14 THE ORACLE. Un fTDcmoriam This page is held sacred to the memory of two loved school-mates, now gone beyond recall. MISS JESSIE HARING MISS ESTHER LOCKS

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16 THE ORACLE. ass and he says, “Yes, thank you, it is,” and lie bowed again and said, “Yes it is a cold day,” and he recollected himself and says, It's a warm day.” , And I tried to help him out so I says: Please sit down, Mr. Hopkins,and down lie sot rite into Jane Ellen's basket of sewin; but he got up quick for he had met the pin cushion and there were about a dozen needles of every size and description sticking out from under his coat tails, you would a’ died o’ lallin. Hut I pulled em out and got him seated again on the sofa and picked up the movable articles and went and left him to Jane Ellen. There was to be a picnic in Eli. Smith's woods, and Silas lie asked Jane Ellen to go with him. How on earth he done it is more than I know but he did. Jane Ellen went to cooking like the old Harry to show Si what a nice cook he was. She made some cranberry tarts and some pound cake and some eustard pie and some crabapple pies, and when it was all sot out it was enuff to make your mouth water. Wall the morning of the picnic it was kinder cloudy. It generally is when there is going to be a picnic. If ever there is an uncommon dry spell in your community just you get your church to vote to have a picnic for the benefit of tin heathens in ( liiny and you are sure to git rain for it is an unfailing receit. Jane Ellen she rigged herself up in her blue silk, and pink bonnet and she did look as purty as a picture. At nine o’clock Silas druv up to the door. He had his old mare Dolly, and though she is almost thirty years old she is as frisky as a kitten. Silas kum to the door, knocked and stepped ofT the porch again, still hanging on to the lines and jerking up old Dolly. As I got to the door he made a bow and he sez, sez he to me, Hood Morn-in; whoa Dolly; is Mr. Potts to home?” “Yes, I says, “Abner is here, did you want to see him?” Y(,s—Xo 1 mean Whoa Dolly -Hoi darn your hide, whoa tliar,” and with that lie jerks up the old mare so quick that -he stands on her hind feet. “T mean,” sez he to me, “is Mrs. Potts to home: “Yes,” sez I to him. 1 am Mrs. Potts, did you want to see me? and then I took compassion on the bashful fellow, and I brings out Jane Ellen with her hands full of custards and tarts; and Hob, that's my boy, he fol-lered loaded down with a basket of pound cake. Just as Jane Ellen got her foot on the step, the horse jumped forward and she fell into the wagon, and sot the custards down on the seat while she got her balance rite. And Silas with a Whoa tliai Doll . fetched a jump and into the wagon he got and set rite down plump into them custards, and driv off at a two-forty speed, bare headed and his tousled hair flying around like a lunatick’s. He’d forgot lie had lost his hut when he jumped, and so I run after one of Abner's and chased them up the hill a-velling like mad. ' Silas he grabbed the hat which was a tall beaver and several sizes too big for him and so it set way down on his ears. Hut they didn't go to the picnic; When Jane Ellen come to herself and saw