Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-09-12
CHILDRENS PULPIT
A Dark Morning But a Bright
EVENING

Evening
Bill was downright mad that
morning as he started out TO take the
COW to the pasture. No one knew
just what the trouble was; even Bill
himself could not tell. But things
were not starting off right; this
much he knew. He was cross when
he got out of bed and gave express
sion TO his i'll feelings by cutting his
little sister. His mother punished
him for it, but instead of bringing
him to his senses, this correction only
served as fuel on his fires of madness.
He took further vengeance out on
the poor cow by whipping her and
running her most of the way to the
pasture. The farther he went the
more sullen he grew. He did not
ask himself what it was all about
or what was the good of his action.
His only thought seemed to be that
everything, the whole world, was
black and ugly and that he was GO
ing to be just as ugly as he could in
return.
At one of the crossings he saw
Benny Hall coming down the street
whistling as happily as a bird. IF
| can only catch sight of him as
go back" Bill thought. "I'll surely
settle that old account with him. Geel
Won't / thump him, though" And
his fingers fairly itched to get hold
of him.
He had fastened the pasture gate
and was sulkily returning when a
poor bony pup limped across the walk
few steps into the vacant lot,
where he threw himself down and be-
gan gnawing the juicy bone he car
ried. He had hardly begun on the
bone when large brindled dog slip
ped through the grass and pounced
upon him with all his weight and
the. walked off with the bone.
Bill saw it all. He forgot himself
for the second. His heart gave a
wild leap; his teeth snapped as he
muttered half aloud" By George! he
can't do that when I'm around"
Without another thought, with his
whip raised, he dashed like lightning
across the lot. In few minutes he
returned with the bone and gave it
to the hungry pup. Bill stood for
few minutes and watched him Gag
erly gnaw at his breakfast, He
was all unconscious of the change
that was taking place in his breast.
But the change was so great that
when he Started on home it was the
same old world, the same old side
walk, but brand new boy.
Turning the corner at the next
block he saw Benny Hall, the very
boy he had hoped to see. whats
lost?" called Bill as he approached.
"Oh, mother sent me for loaf of
bread, and / dropped my dime," re-
piled Benny, half sobbing. "She will
give me the beating of my life if /
can't find it."
The two searched for some time in
vain, and Bill thought it no use to
search longer. "You know" he said,
II get ten cents week for taking
the cow to the pasture. Yesterday
dad paid me for last week. Take my
dime and get the bread and maybe we
can find this some other time" Ben
ny hesitated, but Bill insisted so that
he finally took it.
That night Bill said to his sister:
"I'm very sorry that / was rough
with you, but everything looked ugly
to me then. But say, I've learned q
secret. Whenever you are cross and
feel mean just do some act of kind
ness and the whole world will
brighten up right away. You just
try it sometime"
Help train yourself. Cut the to-
bacco out of your life if you would
practice thrift. Take food saving
seriously. Take nothing into your
system but what will aid in building
up, not in tearing down. Enlist at
once in the army for food conserva-