Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-05-09

week Thursday.
The time for the seven-weeks' tests
has again come around; in other
words this is "test week" Everyone
is studying hard, Of course, as they
always do.
Several of the high school boys
have signified their attention of en-
listing in the army or navy. Ben
Longan has already gone, and others
may follow.
The members of the sewing class
have covered themselves with honor
by making one of the best flags in
Belding. At the patriotic meeting at
the opera house, the flag brought
forth many favorable comments
Much credit is due Miss Giddings,
who is the teacher of domestic art.
The following essay was written
by Mary Woodbridge in English nine
two. Read it for the moral it con-
tains:
THE Blue and Yellow Violets"
AS l stood by the window enjoying
the freshness and beauty of a spring
morning, it suddenly occurred to me
what a lovely time it would be to go
Towering.
Putting on my hat, and picking up
my basket, | went forth into the
woods. | soon found bed of beauti-
of yellow violets. | admired their
beauty very much, and Immediately
began to gather them. l did not
wait to pick them off carefully, but
snatched them off by the handful,
thinking that later on l might ar
range them in a bouquet.
AS / was STOPPING to pick another
handful, | heard tiny voice. Glanc-
ing around in establishment, | expect
ed to see some one, but / saw no one.
Again | heard the voice. 1t sounded
more audible this time, and seemed
to come from the violet bed.
glanced down and saw blue violet
nodding her head and talking to a
very interested yellow violet.
ooh, DEAR" she said, "what a long
cold winter we have had"
Eyes," continued the Yellow Vio-
let, lit was a long winter, but / did
not mind it, for l slept very soundly
until just little while ago."
81 didn't dare to send any of my
green leaves to the sunlight until
nearly the first of May" said Blue
Violet.
"Its spring now and we want to
enjoy the lovely weather as much
as possible. The children will come
and gather our blossoms" Yellow
Violet.
"But / don't like to have the chill
dren come into the woods and gather
flowers" quickly answered Blue
Violet.
"And pray" asked Yellow Violet,
"why don't you like to have the chill
dren gather blossoms ?"
Because they don't care where
they walk. Last year boy stepped
on me, and crushed most of my beau
tiful blue flowers"
"And what's more" excitedly spoke I,
the Yellow Violet, "when they do pick I
our flowers, they aren't a bit careful /
Last spring a girl picked some flow
ers from the White Violet's who was |
my nearest neighbor, and pulled her /
entirely out of the ground, then threw
her away"
"The Lady Slipper told me a while /
ago." said Blue Violet, "that some |
school girls deliberately dug up some
Of her children to take home and put
in their flower gardens"
"And," went on Yellow Violet shril-
y, "some of those horried boys pick
I'd some Of my towers last spring,
ard they seemed to have lots of fun
their heads off,"
Don't you remember" its was
Blue Violet talking, when that
farmer turned his cattle and horses
INTO these woods several years ago?
nearly lost my life then. / was
the sunshine, when a big
animal, / think they call it q COW,
began to eat me. She bit my leaves,
and as my roots weren't very strong
then, | was nearly torn from the
earth. 1t frightened me very badly.
shudder now every time that i think
Of it."
what will become of us flowers"
said Yellow Violet angrily, eff peo-
pie don't stop tearing us from the
Garth, and tram2ing US down SO
rudely?"
I'VE cannot survive if we are
treated as we have been," said Blue
Violet, Some day people will mourn
because there won't be any delicate
sweet-scented wild flowers, if they
don't begin to preserve our lives
now"
The voices sank down into a whis-
per, and finally they were heard no
more. That conversation between
The blue and yellow violet impressed
me very much, and resolved TO, ever
after, be very careful how picked
the wild flowers.
Belding high school its second
game from Ionia high at the latter
place Friday afternoon, 10 to s. The
weather was not fit for anything but
base ball, and consequently the game
was loosely played by both sides. The
only feature of the game was the
hitting Of the local team. Lyons high +
plays here Saturday Score by inn
Ings:
12345 8 9-RH f
Relding % 3 / 4 0 3 o 0 4-151 9
[onia ....2 Q 2 0 / 0 o. 8 a 81