Wells High School - Crimson and Gray Yearbook (Southbridge, MA)

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OCTOBER 1935 to our pioneer ' s cabins. The beds were nothing but boards over which were thrown blankets. Two of us huddled into one bed and shared the blanket between us. It had been a hot, sultry day and we slept well even on those hard beds. In the morning after washing our faces in the glacial brook outside our cabin, we had our usual breakfast of raw oatmeal mixed with nuts and raisins. It doesn ' t sound appetizing but it really was delicious. Soon we finished this and, after washing the dishes, packed our knapsacks, and started on our way. There were several changes in the scenery on the way. First, the trees became stunted and had less foliage; then there were no trees at all; and then — suddenly, we were walking over a broad expanse of snow. Sensing that we were tired of hiking, Monroe, our leader, declared a halt. Beyond the snow were some rocks where the tired ones rested, but most of us engaged in a snowball fight. Snowballs were flying thick and fast when we finally got ready to go. At length we came to the last house and from there on to the top a thousand feet of rocky cliff stretched skyward. Cable wires were attached along the sides and we clung to these and pulled ourselves up hand over hand. Should one slip and fall, on the left side one would fall into Germany and on the right, into Austria. We had been climbing through mist but as we reached the top, the clouds parted and we had a spectacular view for miles and miles of the Bavarian Alps in all their gloiy. It was with regret that we found that we were to descend almost at once because our leader, an excellent weather prophet, said that it would rain in an hour ' s time and that we better make as much progress as we could while the going was good. On the way down it started to rain and then to hail. Down the mountain we ran helter- skelter, our hair blowing in our eyes, and our clothes being soaked through. At the halfway house, after a hot cup of cocoa, we decided to go on for we couldn ' t get any wetter. Two of us met three little burros coming up the narrow path. We decided we wouldn ' t move for them, but pushed on. Presto, chango! and there we were covered in mud, rolling down an embankment slam bang, and then landing up against a tree. The burros, as stubborn as we, had pushed on also, and had pushed us right off the trail. Our friends came down to see if we were hurt but, finding us all right, climbed back and left us to pull ourselves together as best we could. The rain had swollen some of the little rivulets into roaring brooks and we had to detour in many places or wade through them. At last we went through the beautiful natural caverns beside the brook and found our bicycles waiting for us. Although some- what bedraggled, we reached the Hostil and were able to give the friends who stayed behind a glowing description of the wonders of the climb on Zugspitze. STAR DUST Evelyn Fay ' 37 A nebula of stars catapulted Toward earth. Like crystal bits of broken glass They rent the void of space with steely glint, And speeding onward crossed the silver path Of moon beams flecked with molten gold. At once, The rushing stars were ceased from flight, bathed In wondrous heat, then slowly winged their way To earth below. We call them fireflies. THE MASQUERADE BALL Stanley Blackmer ' 36 Jack, the Captain of the North Side foot- ball team, a very likeable fellow, had gone around with Mae, the school ' s best looking girl, until she moved across the river. There Jim, the Captain of the South Side ball team, dated her. Both North and South sides of the river joined once a year in supporting a big masquerade ball. This year there was an argument about who should take Mae to the

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6 THE CRIMSON AND GRAY aid tourniquet about his arm where the cruel glass had cut an artery. Big Boss, thoroughly sober now, was also bending over him. Swipey ' s confused brain tried to figure out why Big Boss was so white and was he wrong in thinking he saw tears in the Boss ' hard, cynical eyes? You ' ll be 0. K. in a couple of days, big fellow, said Dr. Bob cheerfully. Swipey smiled sweetly and closed his eyes contentedly as he saw Big Boss extend his right hand to Dr. Snowden who shook it earnestly. Then the little ragamuffin closed his eyes peacefully and went to sleep. DID YOU EVER HAVE A DISAPPOINTMENT? Harry Dyer Gilman ' 36 One Friday evening I decided to put off my home work to some other time and took a notion to go to the movies. Up the stairs I shot. I tore off my clothes. Ran to the bath room and dabbed some water on my cheeks and called it a bath. Even this slight delay made me very late My hair! It was like a por- cupine ' s! But who was going to see my hair anyhow? They ' d be dazzled by my suit — my suit! Why where was my suit? I gazed helplessly at the hurricane-struck room. I waded through clothe? to my closet door. 1 opened it. Down came my clothes like snow engulfing me. From the middle of the pile I started to bur- row out. I picked, pawed, and finally tossed my clothes around in frantic despair, but there was no suit to be found. I sat down on the only orderly spot in the room, my bed. I tried to think. At last, looking up from my dusty grimy hands, I saw my suit hanging on the bedpost where I had left it the night be- fore. I put it on hurriedly, skipping a few belt loops, breaking a couple of vest-buttons and undergoing a few other mishaps which I do not remember. I was then ready to go — believe it or not. I pulled open the door and fell pell-mell down the stairs, landing with a hard thud. I dashed for the hall door but missed by two yards after the rug had betrayed me. I fixed my regalia and started off down the street. I reached the corner at quarter-of, and dashed around to the theater but the door wasn ' t open. I tried it. Only a mere squeak came from the nailed hinges. I had nearly torn it apait when a man came up to me. What can I do for you? was his question. I explained to him that I wanted to go to the movies. He stood there laughing heartily. My temper rose like mercury in the hot sun. What are you laughing at? I demanded. So yen want to go to the movies, was his reply. Can ' t you wait until it opens? I stood there all exhausted and gazed at my watch which was keeping Daylight Saving Time on this, the first day of Winter Time. MOUNTAIN CLIMBING IN GERMANY Olivia Story ' 38 Far above the tiny village, Garmish, locat- ed in the southern part of Germany, rose the craggy peak of Zugspitze, highest mountain in the Bavarian Alps, which form a natural border between Germany and Austria. Zug- spitze is about twice as high as Mt. AVashing- ton and reaches a height of approximately 9996 feet, To our group of boys and girls, clad in hiking clothes and carrying packs, climbing this bare-faced crag seemed nearly impossible. There was nothing unusual in the climbing although the trails wound around and around the mountain in spiral paths. How- ever, we had no difficulty in reaching the first cabin and there we spent the night. All the girls crowded into one cabin and the boys in another. These cabins were similar

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THE CRIMSON AND GRAY ball. Finally Mae decided that the captain of the winning team should have the honor of taking her. This condition merely added feeling to the rivalry between the North and South. Finally came the day of the game. Neither team had been beaten so far in its schedule. In the last quarter of the game when both teams were tied, Jack after a fumble by Jim, recovered the ball and made a ninety yard dash to the goal line for a touchdown. This ninety yard dash gave the victory to the North Side, and Mae as Jack ' s partner for the dance. On the night of the dance Jack went over into enemy territory, the South Side of the river, to get Mae; but Jim in true enemy fashion got together a gang of fellows to tackle Jack. The gang tied him up and drove him down to an old shack. Here they hauled him into the middle of the room and spotted his face and hands with blue and orange paint, which were his school colors. His finger nails thev painted red. Then they let him go. He first got his location, and then followed every dark street he could find on the way back to Mae ' s house. When he got there he ducked around to the back of the house, went to the rear door, and rang the bell. Mae came to the door and he jumped in quickly. When Mae saw him she laughed and made fun of him. Then suddenly she thought of the ball. Jack couldn ' t go in those clothes! Neither could he get the paint off. She began thinking, How can we go? She suddenly said, I ' ll be a scrub woman, and we will each wear a sign on our backs ' Clean Up and Paint Up. ' They went to the masquerade and they won first prize for having the best costumes. Jack could find bat one fault. His costume lasted too long, for he didn ' t get the paint out of his hair and off his face for weeks. THE ARTIST June Barr ' 37 The Artist sat upon his Throre, And looked on earth below, On valleys, hills, and countryside Bathed in a soft, green glow. And as he looked, he pondered On how he ' d ever thought — The green of spring was lovely, In the picture he had wrought. Then knowing that the earthly eyes Must tire of the scene, He ' d change the color of the world And leave but little green. So with a lavish hand he dipped Into his pots of tint, And flung the colors far and wide Each tree and bush to glint. With orange, brown, and crimson red, With green and gold and yellow, He changed the landscape of the earth, Yet kept it soft and mellow. And soon he ' ll change the scene to white, And leave no trace of Autumn — He ' ll sweep his canvas clean of tints, His pots of paints forgotten. The Artist sat upon his Throne And gazed on field and wood, On gorgeous colors, rich in hue, And knew his work was good. MY IDEAL ROOM Rose Prendergast ' 37 If I were fortunate enough to have my bed- room just the way I wanted it, the color com- (Continued on Page 12)