VIOLA'S MEDAL.

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 284, 18 February 1919, Page 6

VIOLA 'S MEDAL.

(Lot»a Corring Shepard.)

“O mother, the Woman’s Christiaii Temperance Union is to have a silver medal contest and Mrs Stones ants me to speak. Do say I may! I know I can win the medal. The children in this town can’t recite very well. Viola Hunt was out of breath when sin* had delivered this speech for she had run all the way home from the Loyal Temperance Legion meeting.

‘‘lf it will not interfere with your school work you may t.ike part,” replied her mother, “but you must not get so boastful and sure of success. Remember: ‘Let him who thinketh lie standeth, take heed lest he fall.' ” Mrs Stone said 1 just must be in the contest,” Viola continued with shining eyes. “We are to be trained after school hours, but you will tracn me, won't you, mother. You can do it better than an\ of them.”

I ll'* recitations were soon assigned and th** children earnestly „t work. Viola, who had had the advantages of training in a city school and whose mother had taught her at home to icc ite well, felt not a little superior to the other contestants with their singsong styl** of rec t ng, whic h was onlv partially eliminated by the careful efforts of the L.T.L. hader. A few days before thr contest a < ounty officer arrived t" make the final arrangements, and being a friend of Mrs Hunt, was entertained at th° Hunt home. Viola had gone back t" school after the* noon meal and Mrs Hunt and her guest sat at the table c hatting. “My dear, said M’ss Beach, “how old is Viola?” “She will he twelve the twentieth of this month, replied Mrs Hunt. “That's too bad,’ rejoined Miss Beach regretfully. “The* rule is,” she continued, “that contestants must be of nearly th** same age, and the others arc* all older than that. \\ e must have V cVa in the < lass for she* is the redeeming feature hut it will lie* impossible* to allow her tn compete for the medal. I am afraid it will be a very great disap|>ointnicnt to the poor child.” Mrs Hunt looked thoughtful in her turn. “Suppose Viola is unwilling to speak when she knows she can not have the medal; still it wou'd hardly

be fair to allow the audience to think site was beaten when she was not a contestant it is a problem.” “Yes, it is a problem, and one Viola will have to solve for u->,” decided the countv officer.

When Viola returned from school a little later her mother met her at the door. ‘Come in, dear. Mother has something to tell you,” she commenc - ed. a little doubtful of her success in winning Viola over to her point of view. “You speak your piece very nicely—

“Yes, * mother,” broke in Viola. “When Miss Beach heard us recite today she did not correct me at all, and she did the others a lot.”

“Yes, dear, we are all pleased with you and feel sure you will do well, but, Viola, Miss Beach fells me the contestants must he nearly the same age, and you know the* others are two or three years older than you are.” \ ml.i opened her blue eyes in amazement for a moment, then exclaimed, “What difference does that make?” “Knoiigh difference to bar you out of the contest, for rules arc rub’s, and we must obey them,’ her mother said in tlv* <|uict, firm tone that Viola knew usually closed an argument Her c*\ »**- g i e\\ wrathful, and she started to protest. Then as she* realised that she must give up entirely all hope of the shining silver medal Mrs Stone* had shown th**rn, a storm of tears blinded he r. Mrs Hunt, hrt arm around her little girl and a inois ture in her own eyes, proceeded, “1 know, Viola, this a bitter disappointment to you. but listen ! Mss Beach says you aie the only redeeming feature of the class, and she wants \ou to go on and speak, and she will —” Seeing her import nic e to the mu res, of the affair and hugging h.*r last hope, with eyes now drv .end flashing, Viola cried out devermincdlv, ‘‘l won’t speak if I can’t have the medal.” Mrs Hunt, recognising Mi the child her own tenacious will, went on gently. “And she will announee to the audience that the mistake was only recently discovered, and while you are not competing for the prize, yet the number was too good to be left off the programme. 1 >w does that sound ” “Why didn’t Mrs Stone till me I was too young, and 1 wouldn’t have

bothered with the thing?” demanded

Viola

“Because, dear, she did not know I there were any rules as to age, Now 0 be mother's sensible daughter, and got! on and your piece a s niefeiv as] you can, and everyone will kno\y who 1 V.Kikc best, no matter who gets thcl medal. You will ga n more in tli< 9 end than that bit ot silver by swallow I ing your disappointment and not being unladylike and obstinate. Be ■ lieve mother, for she lias learned these I things. Viola stood weighing the j matter in her own logical mind, and a at length repl ed, cheerfully, “AL I right, mothei, I’ll do it.” “Mother is very pioud of you,” with a kiss. The contesting class filed down the 1 aisle, five boys and five girls, five I Sunday suits and shiny , squeaky shoes and five dainty gowns. At the end of the lint was Viola Hunt rosyclucked, and smiling her sweetest, showing no *ogn of the pride that had been mastered.

When nine c lrldr*‘n had spoken, Miss Beach announced: * Ihe next number is not part of the contest. Viola Hunt was admitted to the* class because tin* age rule was not underwood. Contestants must be about the same age, but owing to her compete preparation we insisted on bet icmaining on the programme. “The C•' of I'm da\ Viola | lunt.”

Vividly \ iola depicted the Chicago fir , i destructive flood, and a great earthquake. She ictnindid her aud 1 - cner hat all this suffering had been met by generous aid from the entire nation. Taking a st'p forward, eyes H ishing and every nerve and muscle leml'fig force to het words, she ex-

claimed : “Men and brothers! men and voters! there's a fire that burns to-day ; I Imre's a flood that's sweeping manhood, truth, and honour fast away; There’s a demon fierce and wrathful, shaking as an earthquake could. The foundations of the s State and planting vice where virtue stood ; There’s a war-c ry being sounded, and America's brave sons 1-loc king to her tottering standard, all her noble-hearted one's —” The little speaker continued picturing effectively the sorrow and despair caused by drink, and appealing to the

voters to right the wi-mg, In i enihugi.ism growing, until a stirring climax was reached, and «» t*aiful audience applauded «»s they had not done that evening-. I A few minutes later the sh ning nied d, in its velvet-lined ease, was handed to Louis*: 111 uk, a gnl three years older than \ iola. | The light was out, and a tired little apt I was almost in dreamland when ■he feit something brush her hair, and her mother's voice whispered: “I hard something nice to-night. 1 bvet heard one of the judges s.i\ to an other, ‘Did jou ever see all easier rase to decide than we would have had if Dumber ten had been a contestant?' With onl\ a goodnight hiss she left \ iola to decide whether it had paid to “give in.” I “Here is something that came in the mail, dear,’’ was her mother’s greeting as Viola entered the house. I “Oh, mother, it’s a dainty 1 ittl** hook with a lovelv poem and coloured Rmtures, and here on the lust page it fea\s, “To Viola from Lula Beach.” “The latest edition of your medal (.mie to-day, Viola.” Mr Hunt scath'd himself at the supper table opposite Viola's expectant eyes. “When :1 was at the polls to help keep this town <lt > I met Mr Hanks. 1 had no [idea he had changed his mind about ■saloons helping business, but I slapjped him on tin* shoulder and said, ‘Hanks, give u- a dry vote, and use your influence as the biggest man in the town should use it in the right direction.’ I nearly staggered when he said, ‘I intend to, Hunt, and I don’t mind telling you my change of heart dates from the night >our \ iola spoke at the contest the temperance women had.’ ’’ There was silence while Mrs lluru smiled at her little daughter through tears. Then Viola, in serious tone, hut with mischief in her cye,s, rejoined: “I think I received a better medal than Louise did —it’s the kind that keeps coming.”