Chapter 14 from Tales That I Can Remember by Elsie Swagerty Burton
During the two years I was in the 7th and 8th grades, the principal of the school was also my teacher, Mr. D’Anna, produced two operettas and a play. One of the English assignments had been to write a play and then read it to the class. It was in the reading of my play that he determined I could do a credible job of interpreting a character so that I was in the productions. In spite of my shyness, I enjoyed this ever so much. It was great fun.
Once I stuck my tongue out at Mr. D’Anna because of a scolding concerning some spelling work. He sent me to his office. Now his office is arranged in pullman fashion starting with his reception room, then his official office, then his supply room which id a walk-in closet. The back wall of this closet and our class room shared a common wall. I think he overlooked this fact for when corporal punishment was meted out the lashes and the recipient’s cries could easily be heard from our classroom. I felt that my behavior could have called for this sort of treatment. I wasn’t ready for that. Instead of going into into office as instructed, I just went home. I told my mother about being sent to his office but that I didn’t want the kind of punishment I was afraid of getting so I had gone home. She accompanied me the next morning to face the lion in his den. I remember having to admit my disrespectfulness and having some after school work melted out. It was most distressing for us all.
My graduation from the 8th grade was considered so much of an occasion that all of grandparents can for the exercises. There were but 10 graduates. The girls wore formals. Mine was a soft apricot made of georgette trimmed in lace. It had three tiers of lace and a stiff underskirt. The style was short – 1929. Mr. Burnett, a lawyer from San Jose, grandson of Mr. Peter Burnett, a governor of California, was the speaker. The event
took place on June 14th, Flag Day. It somehow then, seemed very appropriate that we should graduate on Flag Day.
For my graduation I was given a sapphire ring by my Grandmother Aldrich and a watch by my parents. The Standish’s also gave me a gift of a wrist watch. My father rather pointedly suggest I give one to my mother who had none. I, not being a very generous person, did so grudgingly. This brings to mind what then happened. I recall it with a great deal of embarrassment. It could not have been more that two weeks later. I went swimming and forgot to take off my watch. It was ruined. Since both of the watches had been given to me in the first place, I got the one back I had given to my other. Would you call that spoiled?
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