Woonsocket High School - Quiver Yearbook (Woonsocket, RI)

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6 THE QUIVER LITTLE PEOPLE Anne Meredith. Lucille Meredith, Anne's sister. Robert Gregory, Lucille’s fiance. The scene is the attractive garden of the Merediths’ Long Island home. The curtain rises on a tall, graceful girl in a big gingham aprpn, working over some deep blue flowers in small, dull red pots on a rustic table at center. A rustic bench is at the left of the table. A wheelbarrow toward the back of the stage and garden tools, a rake, lawm-mower. etc., are scattered about. As the curtain rises, Anne is whistling. Anne. (After a short pause.) I thought I heard the postman’s wrhistle a minute ago: I wonder whether Lucille--- Lucille. (Running on right.) Oh, Anne! Anne! Look at this—a letter from Bob. He’s coming home to-day, to-day, do you hear, (.looking at the letter) at three o'clock! I have just about time to dress, and I haven’t a thing fit to be seen in! Anne. But you look quite adorable as you are. Stay and tell me about Bob. Is he feeling quite well again? Lucille. (Sitting on bench, curling one foot under her.) Yes, quite. He says he never felt better, but I don’t believe him. Bob never talks sense when he’s well and his letter sounded so serious—why, now that I think of it, I am almost worried about him. Anne. Well, I suppose he thinks he ought to begin to talk sense now, so that it won’t come as too much of a shock after you are married and the first monthly bills appear. Lucille. It isn’t like Bob to worry six months in advance. He would be more likely to worry six months after the worst had happened. Anne. Then it must be the war—

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tHe gyivER JUNE, 1918 PRICE, 20 CENTS CONTENTS Little People................................................. 6 For “Gott und der Kaiser”..................................... 9 APrayer....................................................... 5 W.1H..S. Red Cross Songs..................................... 10 Daddy Bigelow................................................ 11 My Summer in Dream and in Truth.............................. 12 A Letter..................................................... 14 The Best Physicians.......................................... 15 Editorials • ............................................... 16 Athletics.................................................... 19 School Notes................................................. 22 Alumni Notes................................................. 28 In Lighter Vein.............................................. 31 A PRAYER Oh, Lord, look down with mercy upon our sailors and soldiers. Protect them by Thy great power, for their hardships and temptations are many. They have gone forth to fight, urged by the call of duty and the love of country. They have left comforts, friends, and homes at the summons of patriotism. They have forgotten self in the interest of humanity and they have offered the greatest gift of all, yea, even life itself. Oh, Lord, through Thy everlasting justice and compassion, prevent their sacrifice from being in vain. Guard them from danger, and bring them back safe and victorious to the sorrowing ones at home. LAURA LA FOND, ’18.

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THE QUIVER 7 Lucille. (With a little shriek, putting her hands to her ears.) Anne Meredith, if you say war to me, I shall certainly scream. Anne. (Gravely.) Listen, Lucille. I have wanted for a long time to ask you this. Has Bob said anything about enlisting? Lucille. (Pouting.) Has he? His letters are nothing but war, war, war! 1 have had more than I can stand of war, Anne. To read his Utters you would think that the only reason he’s glad to be well and : b'e to come back is that he can get more war news. Oh! I settled his talk of enlisting quickly enough. I told him that it was his patriotic duty to stay at home and keep me from being bored to death! Anne. Lucille, you didn’t! Lucille. (Patting Anne’s hand.) No, of course not, silly, but I let him see that it was war or me. Who can blame him if he chose me? Anne. Oh, Lucille, Lucille, are you always going to be so flippantly cruel ? Lucille. (Sweetly.) Don't preach, Anne dear. Anne. But— Lucille. I really can’t see why you are so anxious to see Bob killed. He is a perfectly good, and what is more, amusing man.. (In answer to Anne’s look of reproach.) Oh! I’ll be serious if you insist. Anne, this war is not mine. I had nothing to do with making it and I can’t see why 1 should be made uncomfortable by it. Still, I have tried to help because—well, everything that has been worth while going to or doing this last season has been mixed up with the Red Cross or the Italian Relief or the Chinese Relief or goodness knows what relief. The French Orphans’ Fund is as good an excuse for a Bal Masque as any. You are shocked, of course, but really I am not any more heartless than the rest, only more honest. And I have made sacrifices. Do you suppose I like to spend two whole afternoons a week rolling bandages? Do I like to go to impossible, dirty, smelly houses on food campaigns? Do I like to eat saw dust bread and camouflage roast-beef? Yet I do all that and more for my country, but if the country thinks it can steal i-y man to stand him up to be mangled, to be shot, perhaps, I tell you it can’t, it can’t, it can’t! (Pounding the table in her furious grief.) Anne. But one life is so small in the face of such a great glory. Oh! Lucille. Bob will die, you will die, but the world will go on. What difference does it make in the final reckoning whether you live twenty years or sixty years if, by sacrificing a few poor little years, you can give something that will last long, long after we are all dead? Don’t hold Bob. He is only thirty-three. Don’t bind him here and make him come to loathe himself and you. Your love is big, Lucille. Don’t try to drag it down to the level of what is basest in you. Lucille dear,-----