Astoria High School - Zephyrus Yearbook (Astoria, OR)

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children rushed into the field and in their sweet simplicity they kissed the yellow flowers they had gathered. The older children broke off the hollow stalks and made long green chains. But the oldest gathered the stalks on which the flowers had done blooming and which were crowned with feath¬ ery head's just ready to float away on the wind. If with one breath they could blow these quite away, they were sure to have new clothes before the end of the year; at least, so their grandmothers said. “Do yO'U see all this?” said the sun¬ beam. ”Do you see their beauty and their honors?” “Yes, for children!” replied the ap¬ ple-blossom with contempt. Then an old woman came into the field, and' with an old knife-stump she grubbed up a quantity of the roots to make a kind of coffee. The rest she would sell to the chemist for medi¬ cine, and be able with the money to increase her scanty stock of corhforts. “Beauty is better than all this,” said the apple-blossom as sulkily as could be. “There is a difference between plants, just as there is a difference between men.” Just then a group of persons en¬ tered the room and' amongst them the young princess who had gathered the apple-blossom and placed it where it stood. But what could that be in her hand? It was a blosom, or w'hat might be a flower; for it was quite hidden by three or four large leaves placed roundl it, and another over it to make a kind of cap, so that not a breath of wind could get at it. Not even the apple-blossom was carried so carefully by the lady’s hand as this hidden treasure, whatever it might be. Very cautiously the large leaves were soon removed and there' — yes, really there, who would have believed it? — was the feathery seed-crown of the hated dandelion! It was this which she had plucked and guarded so care¬ fully that not a single feather which sat so lightly there, ready to float away on the first breeze which reached it, might move from its place. Her loving care had! been successful; it was quite perfect, and as she gazed on it she wondered at its beauty and its airy lightness. “See how man velously God has formed this simple plant!” she cried. “I shall paint it with the apple-blossom, different as they are. One has received as much from the Creator’s hands as the other; and equally are they children in tha same kingdom of beauty.” And the sTinbeam kissed the dande¬ lion and it kissed the apple-U’ossom, and as it did so a deeper blush spread over its beautiful buds. Whether the app- e-blossom learned to be more hum¬ ble for the future I do not know, but at any rate we can carry away the les¬ son that false pride is a very ugly trait. .A Freshman’s Triumph By Yvon Guiliiume, ’07. The footl)all season was at hand, and the boys of the ValeyiHe High School who had won last year’s hon¬ ors were working to organize anothei such team to preserve the good name of their school. All the members of the team had been chosen, and when the list of subs was looked over the name of Jones, a Freshman, was noticed at the end of tire list. “He can’t play,” said the captain. “No; he had bet'er not try. The field is too mudy for such a neat little' fellow,” was the reply from one of the popular boys. Jones heard all this, but said noth¬ ing. That evening, when the boys

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THE APPLE BLOSSOM AND THE DANDELION By Mary Settem, 06. It was a bright and sunny May day; the wind was still cold, but “the spring Is come” was said softly from bush and brake, from field and stream, and a little apple tree which stood close by gave back the words in the gentlest of whispers. The little apple tree had one single bough just breaking into blossoms, and, so covered with its beautiful fresh buds, it Vr as a perfect picture to behold. It knew this quite well, so that it was not in the least surprised when a grand carriage which was passing along the road drew up before It and the young princess who sat in the carriage exclaimed, “Oh ! what a beautiful blossom, the loveliest apple- blossom of the season.” So one of her attendents broke off the bough: and, shading it with her silken para¬ sol, she carried it home with her to her father’s castle. The apple-blossom had never dreamed of such a place as that. On the table of a state drawing room was the blossom placed, and I am sorry to say it began to be very much lifted Up with its change of condition. Many people kept passing to and fro through the room and every one had some¬ thing to say about it as they looked admiringly at the beautiful bough. “What a difference there is between plants!” said one, which, of course, the apple-blossom took as a compli¬ ment to itself; and it held' its head higher than ever. The vase stood at an open window which looked down Into a garden and also into a field; so that there were many plants both wild and cultivated within sight, and with which it could compare itself. Some were very ordinary and com¬ mon. “Poor rejected plants,” said our friend in its contemptous pity; ’’there Is indeed a difference! How unhappy you must feel! at least, if you have feelings like we of the upper classes. But there must be a difference, other¬ wise we should all be alike.” As it made this remark, it fixed its atten¬ tion upon one kind of flower, with which the field was covered; that which grows everywhere, even be¬ tween the stones of the pavement; that which nobody cares for, nobody gathers because it is so common — the dandelion. “Poor despised creature!” cried the apple-blossom; “it is no fault of yours that you are so common; but you al¬ ways have been so and you always will be so; but as it is with men, so it is with flowers; there must be a differ¬ ence.” Something echoed back the word “difference;” it was the sunbeam, and it kissed the apple-blossom, and then the yellow petals of the dandelion; for the sunbeam makes no diffefence be¬ tween the favored and the unfavored flowers, it loves them all alike and counts them all as brothers. The ap¬ ple blossom had not thought of the Great God’s love for all His creatures, small as well as great; but the sun¬ beam knew better; he had come down from the very source of light, so of course it was all clear to him. “You do not see very far nor very well, my friend,” he said'. “Which is the poor weed I heard you pitying just now?” “The dandelion,” was the reply. “Nobody binds it into nosegays, every¬ body tramples it under foot; it is much too common, and when .it comes into seed it flies about, hither and thither, and sticks to people’s clothes, A weed it is and a weed it must re¬ main. How thankful I am that I am something better than that!” At that moment a little troop of

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went np to practice, Jones followed be hind, and when they arrived at the field he sat down to watch them. After practicing about an hour Greene, the quarterback, had to go to school and prepare his next day’s German. No one but Jones was left to take his place. He did so and ad¬ mirably went through all the plays. On the way back to the school rooms Jones followed behind as usual, but with a determination that before , .. .. • something lo show ’■-e . ' ■ ' not a “sissy boy,” r- • a fti-i •- t T-. 1 V • : i The next ua r. Ciialienge was re¬ ceived from the Easton Normal School and a game arranged for the second Saturday following. Preparations were m.ade in earnest for the game. The boys were made to run to and from the field each day, besides the practice in the gymnasium each night. Many of the boys could not endure this hard work as ■well as Jones; but he 'wms scarcely noticed, except when some of the boys had a difficult problem to solve or a trans¬ lation in Greek to decipher. Finally the day for the game arrived. Enthusias'r' ran high in Yaleville, and that afternoon the grandstand was crowded, while a great throng lined the gridiron on every side. As the Yaleville boys entered tlm gate cheers arose from the crowd, but they be¬ came quiet v.'hen the Easton boys ap¬ peared, as the visitors .seemed much heavier. At last the game began. Easton won the toss and chose the goal farthest from the grandstand. On the kick-off the bali was caught by Greene, who ran it back twenty-five yards. He was tackled on Yaleville’s forty-yard line, the fall resulting in a fracture of the shoulder bone. He retired from the field', amid cheers from all sides. ’ The names of several subs were called, but, as Jones was the only one who had practiced at quarter, he was chosen from among them. An end run was tried, with little effect. Then followed a fake play. which netted a gain of five yards; on the ne.xt, three yards, and Yaleville lost the ball. After attempting several plays Eas¬ ton was forced' to punt. The ball was caught by Yaleville’a fullback, who ran back fifteen yards. Now the con¬ test became harder than ever. Jones directed the plays with such good judgment and coolness as to sweep the heavy Easton men off their feet. “Six-eleven-twelve,” called Jones, and like a flash he circled the end on a quarterback run. Straight down the field he wmnt, now dodging, now straight-arming, and then, with a mighty effort, he hurdled the safety quarter and crossed the goal line, mak¬ ing the score 5-0 in favor of Yalevilie. Then there arose a chorus of cheers and above these was heard the cry, “What’s the matter with Jones?” That evening, on the way to the school grounds, Jones was not follow¬ ing behind as before, but was borne in triumph on the shoulders of the two boys ■ 'ho had ridiculed him a few weeks before. Nor was this all, for at the reception given to the Yale¬ ville boys that night in college he was given the place of honor. After this he was no longer known about the school as “sissy,” but as “Jones, the football hero.” Spare the Rod. One day recentlj a pupil went to htiss Hulse and complained of hi? eye¬ sight. The teacher happens to be a sort of amateur oculist and examined the lad’s eyes. W' hen the boy went home that night he carried a note to his father from the instructor which read about as follows; “Dear jMr. S. — Your son shows in¬ dications of astigmatism. I think his ca e should be attended to at once.” The following day the lad returned to school with this note for the in¬ structor: “Dear Miss Hulse — Thanks for your letter. Whip it out of him. Y'ours truly, Mr. S.”