Westport High School - Herald Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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f W ,,...-S:a..k.s.:.z-1.-ef-easigsausdizia. P-P -'I-r eff:-111 . A--sz-gngasgeenqu-:gvfp9guw,pzfrAezer4 - --uv' 4 THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. most admirably. I had never attributed to my disposition a poetic side, but I am sure it was only the poetic which could have turned that forest into so many strange and fantastic designs. The snow had begun to fall and was making rapid progress in trans-forming the landscape. First, I noticed the sim- ilarity between my surroundings and a scene in a-musical fantasy that I had seen the week before 5 there were the same tree trunks with the miniature drifts at their sides, and overhead the branches met in just the way those on the stage had done. Then I became aware of the fact that this forest might have been Spen- seris fcForest of Error, only I could not remembers' any snow in the latter. Then I noticed the whiteness of the trail before me, and I remembered hav- ing attended a wedding somewh-ere in the misty past, where the aisles had been carpeted with pure white canvas, and in- voluntarily I began to search out the rest of the picture. A sudden turn in the trail ahead of me left the dead trunk o-f a tree which had fallen in the shape of an arch across the trail as the entrance of the chancel, it was easy to make an altar of gray marble from the trunks of three trees directly beyond. Branches of Arbor Vitw covered with snow, made gar- lands and festoons all about my imagin- ary cathedral. Then in the melancholy music of the wind in the branches above me, I could pla.inly detect the notes of a wedding ina.rch. The twigs of the shrubs and the aspen trees were nodding and bending in the wind, just like so many human beings in their pews, twist- ing and turning to catch the Hrst glimpse of the bride-elect. It is well that my physical being in- terfered then, or I might have seen the bride, a snow queen, probably, and per- haps I should have married her, right there and then in the cold forest, had it not been that a fierce gust of wind cut harshly against my face and brought me back to earth. After this the miles seemed longer and I was numb with coldg my feet seemed two lifeless stones wnich I lifted and pulled after me. My nose and hands were cold, too, and finally I began to believe that my brain was frozen. All at once I became conscious of a possible shelter which suddenly appeared in the road. I knew there was- no such hut on my own claim. I had built a decent shack of logs, for I had expected to use it during the game season-but this was a cabin of small dimensions, with a chimney from which issued smoke, real smoke, that told of the presence of a wo-od fire. I donpt know how I got to the door, but evidently I did, for it was opened, and I remember being lifted inside and carried like a baby across the room. Then everything was blackfa curtain fell be- tween life and me. When I next opened my eyes, it seemed that I had been asleep for hours. I was lying comfortably upon a couch of pine wood, and beneath my head was a pillow of pine needles, which flavored the air with their sweet -dreamy perfume. The room wa.s small, the walls rough plastered, and the floor of split logs, cov- ered with furs and skins. A table upon which were a few well-worn books, a huge armchair, and the couch upon which I was lying, were the only furnishings. A bright fire of birch logs burned in the large brick fireplace and cast a warm glow over everything. All this I coul-d see without turning my head, but by a slight. shift in po-sition I discovered that there were two doo-rs, one an entrance into another room and the other evidently the outside -door. My observations were b-rought to a standstill by the opening of the latter and the en- trance of my benefactor. f'Well, well, I 'ni glad to see you look- ing so spry. How are you ?', he asked, striding across the floor and grasping me by the hand. You've been sleeping like a baby ever since I got you to bed last night, and here it 's afternoon again. You canit think how inquisitive you ,ve made mef' All this, as he pumped my arm up 111141 down. I 4 as gia he fac at son an: dow fiei oug d oi UP sta fre hat fox adi If 3I'Il I c cor pea not to the me hai I c tell yor pl if his ant fu tale I s he pos no jus tra' . . . ...f 9.4, ..:.:.:, .::g,,.,::1..5,,:V'4.,:, -V: vu, --up 55' .QU .pi.q.wA:wJ:6- 1 In is - F ,W A MK- Y - -- -' .-1-1.-....-....f-mfr-vs: apmgiivqzdiq ,I ,-gf, ,,, W za: H i. KH, A F g - '--- ----mwah -4.1 ..... ...-...-....... ...-.,.,..,4...,..,....,g..s,,g,:gf1 . - vs.,

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I 5'f+ fr-'J-:sri-....-.g.4..lf. 'aw-,smfqm - .V V ,L-3, - - 1 mf-.- -.,.... .,--.. -.,- . -, ,,,,,,, i in , , ,, N Q 7 p -V .-. -. . -...- ,. ...x ,.':5i!' Q Zf..i.E?tF'f!'F9rl:-!', i-:-19.-'Ti:Q-:m12'3'g:-g:d?? - i 'jr - y -'rg1ygfg1giq:s:gfr:'p::z:3hageggggsr-g3y::,seeign-1--5-r1.my . gi jr ay, f, gs . - 4- . . xg -I-H .1- 2111 1 ity in .en :he fts so .st- of ars .lg- ads eek HHS ' -..... .,. , I v:,.. ,a..s..,....4...,--..-...... THE WESTPORT HIGH SCHOOL HERALD. 3 But one thing, I warn you, ' ,Tis surely a. crime To give any lessons O er holi-day time. Then he turned to Miss Wilder And quickly did speak, Why torture these pupils With Latin and Greek W But before she had time p To give her reply, To Miss Stoner he turned 'With 'a wink of his eye. MMCL foi, Zllaclcmoiselle, Est-cc-que vous cies ici? Why the tasks are not easy I now ,plainly seef' Daniel Hullps jolly face Brought the fire from N ick, s eyes, For to find such la teacher Was quitea surprise. f With a tug at 'beard I And a shake of his head, , He scowled on wee Harnden And savagely said, is a sin that has neter new forgiven as yet, I -CC DT This one, like the rest, Xou shall ever regret. The one next in line Was our friend, Miss De Witt. But Nick did not notice The lady one bit. When he had come A To the end of the row, He made a short speech And prepared to go. ffWho e'er to the pupils Gave outf' said he, 'fliessons ojer holidays, Come, follow me. V - .Then down to the furnace I He hurried again With all of the teachers, Women and men, I Drove them into the Haines, Sprang in with a shout, And they all disappea.red i . Like a candle gone out- But I heard him exclaim, Ere he passed from my view, 'cMerry Christmas to all And a glad New Year, too? V Alma Cutter,-908. A CHRISTMAS AwAKENiNG. I do not imagine that the expression on my face, as I left the train that after- noon at the little cinder patch in' the northern Wisconsin woods, which marked the existence of Razor Back Lake, to the train oflicials-I do not imagine, I say, that my countenance bespoke any great amount of enthusiastic joy or brilliancy, in fact it could not have, for it was un- mercifully cold. I am sure the thermom- eter must have registered somewhere be- low zero, and the dead, gray clouds above me, showed serious signs of snow. As any one knows, who has visited the pine woods of the north country, they are not too joy-inspiring, even in summer, when the sun lends some warmth to their cold and dismal solitude, but in winter these forests are in every sense of the word awful. At least, such was my opin- ion on this particular afternoon as I 2.-...2 5.:g.5o....f.aa-.,.4.:..-.-:4...a.....a-..a.:4.:...,,.-..,.- .Y-..:,.,......--. -,-. .. - - . ,, .,.. - -. Q. ,... ..---. trudged moodily along the narrow trail. I must have presented a rather un- usual appearance, for I was dressed in fur from my head' to my feet. In one hand I carried a small traveling bag, and the other was buried elbow deep in my coat pocket. It was nearly three opclock, and there were four lonely Wisconsin miles between me and my destination, so you may picture my facial expression for yourself. For ai distance of perhaps two miles, I walked briskly along, thinking and solil- oquizing. The forest is a splen-did place for thinking, but a very bad place indeed to be found alone with one's conscience. I am sure I remembered every thing I had ever done in the course of my life, whether good, bad or indifferent, and iinally having exhausted my past experi- ences, my imagination fell to working

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' ' ' L 'F' E' f' -'. f --ls.-...sf..i2if .:.s j Q., his aj -mg -.-, - -5 H- I .i . ' : E9 I ri. a ad eh a ad ut is, ze, of Jr, ad, nd en Je- .ed W1 S lne ow air lgh ov- 1-on ige L I A the low ing Lion ors, and MY still en- Jok- ked, me Jaby ght, ran' t ne. and 77 THE WESTPORT SCHOOL HERALD. 5 lim feeling like a. kid, thank you. I came across you and your house, just as the fairy prince always discovers the giant in the midst of a thick woods, when he is ready to die of fatigue? I laughed up into his great, gentle face and he laughed back at me. C'My name 's Sandersonf' he announced at last, and yours, Winthrop. I found some of your cards in your vest pocketjp and once more he sawed my arm up and down until I fairly cried for mercy. 'CI should know better. You 've a fierce cold on your lungs. I'm sure I ought to know that you a.re weak, and I don't want you to have a spell of illness up here in these woods? Frowning, he stalked over to the fire and threw on some fresh lo-gs. It's a fearfully cold day and Ijve had poor luck-got only a wolf' and a red fox. Never mind, thoughj' he seemed to address himself, I 'll do better to-morrow. If you 'll excuse me, I'll go and get an armful of wood. He left me alone, greatly puzzled, for I couldnit imagine a trapper in this will country so well educated as this man ap- peared to be. I finally fell asleep, however, and did not awaken until after nightfall. 'CWell, I must say, you 're a fine one, to go to sleep on a fellow when yo-u are the first white man he 's seen since sum- mer. Here, drink this, it 's hot, and-he handed me a cup of steaming broth, which I consumed in less time than it takes to tell it. That was fine, I volunteered, so you 're a cook among your other accom- plishmentsf' He laughed and said that his experience was limited to forest fare and that he did not believe any but the furtive folkv would really appreciate his talent. e For a while neither of us spoke, but I suppose I must have looked curious for he smiled across at me and said, I sup- pose you Wonder who I am. Well, Itve no objections to your knowing that I'm just plain Doc Sanderson, of Razor Back, trapper by choice and by necessity. I am no prince in disguise and no millionaire leading the simple life? I laughed and glanced unconsciously at the worn volumes of Shakespeare and Dickens. Yes, I pm fond of a good book now and then. I can appreciate a. bit of Pickwickis nonsense, or a few of Little Dorrittis tears. Now, no more questionsfi A week passed and for awhile my cold seemed to be settling deeper upon my lungs, but Doc,7' with his knowledge of herbs, helped me so much that I began to recover. ,He wouldn't allow me to step outside the door, so I dwelt happily within, read- ing and day-dreaming. Our evening conversations never touched upon Sanderso-n's past, and al- though I told him mine, he seemed to prefer history and trapping. One night we sat la.te before the fire while the snow was falling outside, and the cosiness of the interior with the bright open fire, seemed to breed oheerfulness and conversation-so it was nearly eleven when we said good night.. My host insisted upon my sleeping before the fire, while he slept in the kitchen. On this particular night, after he had left me, I sat for some time be- fore the fire, wondering how soon I could get away-not that I wanted to go, but that the law demanded that I spend at least one night in the year upon my claim. I counted the days left in the year and decided this must be ,Christmas Eve and that to-morrow would be Christmas Dav. I began picturing to myself the .down town streets at home, the rushing, jug- gling, good-natured host of Christmas shoppers, and the gaily lighted shop win- dows. How I longed to be there-there is something so peculiarly alluring about a crowd of holiday shoppers. Then I thought of the children and their dreams of Santa Claus. I almost wished that I were a. child again, or at least that I might play Santa Claus. Just at that point the loneliness of my host came into my mind, and I deter- mined to surprise him. . .. . - - - -- -- ,, ,. - - ' ..--..f.-,..........-..,..-.,6L ha nf-.. ..: .. 'iw J ' V R. , y-...ln44.i-. V ..A .f-....: -,..4....-1.--1--.-f..