GRADUATION AND FOURTH OF JULY
With the coming of June thoughts of graduation filled the minds of all
the prospective graduates. The boys were able to get through their
examinations quite early in the month, and as they all did better than
they expected the last days of the month were days of joy to them. The
girls had to wait longer to have the weight removed from their minds,
but they, too, passed their examinations well enough to earn special
congratulation from the principals of their respective schools.
The graduation exercises of the Rosemont graded schools were held in the
hall of the high school and all the schools were represented there. The
Ethels and Dorothy all sang in the choruses, and each one of them had a
part in the program. Ethel Brown described the character of Northern
France and Belgium, the land in which the war was being carried on.
Although no mention of the war was allowed every one listened to this
unusual geography lesson with extreme interest. Ethel Blue recited a
poem on "Peace" and Dorothy sang a group of folk songs of different
countries. It was all very simple and unpretentious, and they were only
three out of a dozen or more who tried to give pleasure to the assembled
parents and guardians.
Roger's graduation was more formal. A speaker came out from New York, a
man of affairs who had an interest in education and who liked to say a
word of encouragement to young people about to step from one stage of
their education into another.
"Of course education never ends as long as you live," Roger said
thoughtfully to Ethel Brown, "but there is a big feeling of jump when
you go from one school to another, and you can't deny it."
"I don't want to deny it," retorted Ethel Brown. "I'm all full of
excitement at the idea of going into the high school next autumn."
The graduating class of the high school was going to inaugurate a plan
for the decoration of the high school hall. They were to have a banner
which was to be used at all the functions, connected with graduation and
in after years was to be carried by any of the alumni who came back for
the occasion of the graduation and alumni dinner. During the year this
banner and those which should follow it were to be stacked in the hall,
their handsome faces encouraging the scholars who should see them every
day by the thought that their school was a place in which every one who
had passed through was interested. The power of a body of interested
alumni is a force worth having by any school.
The graduating class found the idea of the banner most attractive, but
when it came to the making they were aghast at the expense. A committee
examined the prices at places in New York where such decorations were
made and returned horrified.
It was then that the Ethels offered to do their best to help out the
Class of 1915.
"We'll do what we can, and I know Helen and Margaret and Della will help
us," they said and fell to work.
Ethel Blue drew the design and submitted it to the class and to the
principal of the school. With a few alterations they approved it. The
girls had seen many banners at Chautauqua and they had talked with the
ladies who had made the banner of their mother's class, so that they
were not entirely ignorant of the work they were laying out for
themselves. Nevertheless, they profited by the experience of others and
did not have to try too many experiments themselves.
They had learned, for instance, that they must secure their silk from a
professional banner-making firm, for the silk of the department store
was neither wide enough nor of a quality to endure the hard wear that a
banner must endure. From this same banner house they bought linen canvas
to serve as interlining for both the front and the back of the banner.
Several tricks that were of great help to them they had jotted down when
they discussed banner making at Chautauqua and now they were more than
ever glad that they had the notebook habit.
The front of their banner was to be white and to bear the letters "R. H.
S." for Rosemont High School, and below it "1915." They remembered that
in padding the lettering they must make it stand high in order to look
effective, but they must never work it tight or it would draw. Another
point worth recalling was that while the banner was still in the
embroidery frame and was held taut they should put flour paste on the
back of the embroidery to replace the pressing which was not possible
with letters raised so high.
When it came to putting the banner together they found that their work
was not easy or near its end. They cut the canvas interlining just like
the outside, and then turned back the edge of the canvas. This was to
prevent the roughness cutting through the silk when that should be
turned over the canvas. Back and front were stitched and the edges
pressed separately, and then they were laid back to back and were
stitched together. The row of machine stitching was covered by gimp.
A heavy curtain pole tipped with a gilt ball served as a standard and
was much cheaper than the pole offered by the professionals. The cross
bar, tipped at each end by gilt balls, was fastened to the pole by a
brass clamp. The banner itself was held evenly by being laced on to the
crossbar.
The cord had been hard to find in the correct shade and the girls had
been forced to buy white and have it dyed. A handsome though worn pair
of curtain tassels which they found in Grandmother Emerson's attic had
been re-covered with finer cord of the same color. The entire effect was
harmonious and the work was so shipshape as to call forth the admiration
of Mr. Wheeler and all the teachers who had a private view on the day
when it was finished. The girls were mightily proud of their
achievement.
"It has been one of the toughest jobs I ever undertook," declared Ethel
Brown, "but I'm glad to do it for Roger and for the school."
With the graduation past all Rosemont, young and old, gave their
attention to preparing for a safe and sane Fourth of July. Of course the
U. S. C. were as eager as any not only to share in the fun but to help
in the work.
One piece of information was prominently advertised; it was a method of
rendering children's garments fire-proof. "If garments are dipped in a
solution of ammonium phosphate in the proportion of one pound to a
gallon of cold water, they are made fire-proof," read a leaflet that was
handed in at every house in the town. "Ammonium phosphate costs but 25
cents a pound," it went on. "A family wash can be rendered fire-proof at
an expense of 15 cents a week."
The U. S. C. boys handed out hundreds of these folders when they went
about among the business men and arranged for contributions for the
celebration. The girls took charge of the patriotic tableaux that were
to be given on the steps of the high school, with the onlookers
gathered on the green where the Christmas tree and the Maypole had
stood.
"We must have large groups," said Helen. "In the first place the
Rosemonters must be getting tired of seeing us time after time, and in
the next place this is a community affair and the more people there are
in it the more interested the townspeople will be."
The selection of the people who would be suitable and the inviting of
them to take part required many visits and much explanation, but the U.
S. C. had learned to be thorough and there was no neglect, no leaving of
matters until the last minute in the hope that "it will come out right."
"It seems funny not to be waked up at an unearthly hour by a fierce
racket," commented Roger on the morning of the Fourth. "I'm not quite
sure that I like it."
"That's because you've always helped make the racket. As you grow older
you'll be more and more glad every year that there isn't anything to
rouse you to an earlier breakfast on Fourth of July morning."
The family ate the morning meal in peace and then prepared for the
procession that was to gather in the square. This procession was to be
different from the Labor Day procession, which was one advertising the
trades and occupations of Rosemont. Today was a day for history, and the
floats were to represent episodes in the town's history. Roger was to be
an Indian, George Foster one of the early Swedish settlers, and Gregory
Patton a Revolutionary soldier. None of the girls were to be on the
floats. The procession was to be given over to the men and boys.
It was long and as each float had been carefully arranged and the
figures strikingly posed the whole effect was one that gave great
pleasure to all who saw it.
A community luncheon followed on the green. Tables were set on the
grass, and the girls from every part of town unpacked baskets and laid
cloths and waited on the guests who came to this new form of picnic
quite as if they never had ceased to do these agreeable neighborly acts.
The girls had tired feet after all their running around, but they rested
for an hour and were fresh again when it was time for the tableaux as
the sun was sinking.
The high school was approached by a wide flight of steps and on these
Helen posed her scenes. The people below sat on the grass in the front
rows and stood at the back. The floats of the morning had been scenes of
local history. These were scenes from the life of Washington.
Washington, the young surveyor, strode into the woods with his
companions and his Indian attendants. Washington became
commander-in-chief of the Continental army. Washington crossed the
Delaware--and the U. S. C. boys were glad that they had built the
_Jason_ at the Glen Point orphanage and did not have to study out the
entire construction anew. Washington and Lafayette and Steuben shook
hands in token of eternal friendship. Washington reviewed his troops
under an elm at Cambridge. Washington suffered with his ragged men at
Valley Forge. Then Cornwallis surrendered, and last of all, the great
general bade farewell to his officers and retired to the private life
from which he was soon to be summoned to take the presidential chair.
There were a hundred people in the various pictures, but the winter's
experiences had taught the Club so much that they found no trouble in
managing the whole affair. Each person had been made responsible for
furnishing his costumes, a sketch of which had been made for him by
Ethel Blue, and every one was appropriately dressed.
"This is another success for you young people," exclaimed Mr. Wheeler,
shaking hands with them all. "I always know where to go when I want
help."
Ethel Blue walked home with Miss Merriam, who was wheeling Elisabeth.
She seemed much gayer than she had been for a long time.
Ethel kissed her as well as her sleepy little charge as she went into
the house to put on a warmer dress before she should go out in the
evening to see the community fireworks.
"You and Elisabeth are my helpers," she whispered gratefully. "You make
everybody happy--except, perhaps--"
Ethel hesitated, for Gertrude had never mentioned Edward to her since he
left for Oklahoma.
"Do you want to know what was in my May basket?"
Ethel clasped her hands.
"Oh, yes!"
Gertrude took out of her cardcase a tattered bit of paper. It read:
"When you know that you really like Oklahoma and all the people there,
please telegraph me. Good-bye."
"I telegraphed this morning," she said, almost shyly. "I said 'Oklahoma
interests me'."
"Here comes the telegraph boy down the street now," cried Ethel.
Gertrude took the yellow envelope from him, and, before she opened it,
signed the book painstakingly. When she had read the message she handed
it to Ethel Blue.
"I start for Rosemont on the tenth to investigate the truth of the
rumor."
Gertrude bubbled joyously.
"Oh!" exclaimed Ethel Blue softly. "That means you're engaged!"
End of Project Gutenberg's Ethel Morton's Holidays, by Mabell S. C. Smith