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fractions, but ran into difficulty w h en w e m et the b rain -tw istin g w ritten problem s.
T h is year also for the first tim e w e received form al reports for scholastic efforts.
In sports w e w e re a ll m em bers of the Jun io r B aseb all L eagu e, of w h ich Don
B oyden w as the lusty hom e-run king. Each m em ber of the w in n in g team w as pre
sented w ith a brand new baseball at our exercises at the end of the year. W e bid
a fond adieu to M iss C h ap p ell and left that b u ild in g forever.
W e returned to school to a new location that seem ed one step nearer the upper
school. W e q u ick ly becam e acquainted w ith M iss Saw yer, and w ere soon to m eet
M r. M ills, our m ath teacher, and M rs. Paine, w ho w as to introduce us to biograph ies.
O ur teachers this year proved as interesting as our courses. M iss S aw y er had an
endless, in fact an ever-increasing supply of tales, w hich sp ran g up on the slightest
occasion, but p articu larly in g eo g rap h y class. S tran g e to say, M iss S aw y er herself
alm ost alw a ys featured in these tales, g iv in g evidence of a v aried and th rillin g
career. M r. M ills kept us a ll on ed g e by w h a c k in g the nearest desk w ith his ruler
at the slightest sign of inattention; a good d eal of varnish w as w o rn off d u rin g
the course of our m ath classes.
A C hristm as party, w ith a tree and presents, w as held. Each boy had d raw n the
n am e of the fello w to w hom he w as to give a present. T h e g ifts ran g ed from rub
ber hot-dogs to w h ite mice.
A fter our vacation, w e settled dow n to w o rk and constructed la rg e m aps of
A frica, w hich w ere to go on exhibition at the end of the year. Shortly, how ever, w e
w ere released for three w eeks because of the p rev alen t scarlet fever. U pon return
ing from this unexpected freedom , certain fello w s w ro te them es upon their d ep red a
tions of the past three w eek s— ch asin g cats, th ro w in g sn o w b alls, w a g in g w a r w ith
rotten apples. For this they w ere roundly scolded by M iss S aw yer to the evident de
ligh t of all present, in clu d in g the culprits.
T h e Good G overnm ent C lub w a s form ed, w ith tw elv e charter m em bers to
w h o m pins w ere donated by B illy K iernan. N e w m em bers w ere elected as their
conduct m erited, and at the end the rem ain in g few w e re ad m itted to avoid em
barrassm ent.
Sum m er approached, an d as our w o rk lessened, M iss S aw y er and M r. M ills read
us excerpts from The Real Diary of a Real Boy, Plupy, Beaney and Pewt, and The
Adventures of jimmy Brown. Mirabile dictu, the readers seem ed to enjoy the stories
fu lly as w e ll as w e did; everyone w a s in a good hum or — even Jo n ath an K ilbourne's
argum en ts w ith M iss S aw yer becam e less frequent.
A t the clo sin g exercises, M r. T hom as presented m ed als for the n e w ly in a u g
urated read in g contest. Ed W h ita k e r won first prize, and T a y lo r Cotter, second.
W ith an au revoir w e took up our p ilg rim a g e to the seashore.
Once a g a in w ith in the " w a lls so ta ll an d stately,” w e found H an k S h aw re
p lacin g M r. M ills as teacher of the fourth in term ed iate; M iss S aw yer w as still to be
our g eo grap h y teacher. " H a n k ” never seem ed quite ab le to g rasp our point of view
— nor w e his. Perhaps the fact that he led a none-too-peaceful life for the w h o le year
is exp lain ed by his b ein g a m ath teacher. W e did take som e g ran d trips w ith him,
though; w e visited the R h o d e Island School of D esign and late r the K n igh t m ills.
Tage forty

