it was the first saturday of the term. so far the girls had been kept busily occupied settling down to work in their fresh forms, and trying to grow accustomed to miss teddington's new time-tables. now, however, they were free to relax and enjoy themselves in any way they chose. some were playing tennis, some had gone for a walk with miss moseley, a few were squatting frog-like on boulders in the midst of the stream, and others strolled under the trees in the grove.
"thank goodness the weather's behaving itself!" said mary acton, who, with a few other members of the lower fifth, was sitting on the trunk of a fallen oak. "do you remember last council? it simply poured. the thing's no fun if one can't have a real fire."
"it'll burn first-rate to-night," returned lizzie lonsdale. "there's a little wind, and the wood'll be dry."
"that reminds me i haven't found my faggot yet," said beth broadway easily.
"girl alive! then you'd better go and look for one, or you'll be all in a scramble at the last!"
"bother! i'm too comfy to move."[pg 37]
"nice wood-gatherer you'll look if you come empty-handed!"
"i'd appropriate half your lot first, lizzikins!"
"would you, indeed? i'd denounce you, and you'd lose your rank and be degraded to a candidate again."
"oh, you mean, stingy miser!"
"not at all. it's the wise and foolish virgins over again. i shan't have enough for myself and you. i've a lovely little stack—just enough for one—reposing—no, i'd better not tell you where. don't look so hopeful. you're not to be trusted."
"what are you talking about?" asked rona mitchell, who had wandered up to the group. "why are some of you picking up sticks? i saw a girl over there with quite a bundle just now. you might tell me."
so far rona had not been well received in her own form, iv b. she was older than her class-mates, and they, instead of attempting to initiate her into the ways of the woodlands girls on this holiday afternoon, had scuttled off and left her to fend for herself. she looked such an odd, wistful, lonely figure that lizzie lonsdale's kind heart smote her. she pushed the other girls farther along the tree-trunk till they made a grudging space for the new-comer.
"i'm a good hand at camp-fires, if you want any help," continued rona, seating herself with alacrity. "i've made 'em by the dozen at home, and cooked by them too. just let me know where you want it, and i'll set to work."[pg 38]
"you wouldn't be allowed," said beth bluntly. "this fire is a very special thing. only wood-gatherers may bring the fuel. no one else is eligible."
"why on earth not?"
"oh, i can't bother to explain now! it would take too long. you'll find out to-night. girls, i'm going in!"
"turn up here at dusk if you want to know, and bring a cup with you," suggested lizzie, with a half-ashamed effort at friendliness, as she followed her chums.
"you bet i'll turn up! rather!"
that evening, just after sunset, little groups of girls began to collect round an open green space in the glade. they came quietly and with a certain sense of discipline. a stranger would have noticed that if any loud tone or undue hilarity made itself heard, it was instantly and firmly repressed by one or two who seemed in authority. that the meeting was more in the nature of a convention than a mere pleasure-gathering was evident both from the demeanour of the assemblage and from the various badges pinned on the girls' coats. no teacher was present, but there was an air of general expectancy, as if the coming of somebody were awaited. to the pupils at the woodlands this night's ceremony was a very special occasion, for it was the autumn reunion of the camp-fire league, an organization which, originally of american birth, had been introduced at the instigation of miss teddington, and had taken great[pg 39] root in the school. any girl was eligible as a candidate, but before she could gain admission to even the initial rank she had to prove herself worthy of the honour of membership, and pass successfully through her novitiate.
the organizer and leader of the branch which to-night was to celebrate its third anniversary was a certain mrs. arnold, a charming young american lady who lived in the neighbourhood. she had been an enthusiastic supporter of the league in pennsylvania before her marriage, and was delighted to pass on its traditions to british schoolgirls. her winsome personality made her a prime favourite at the woodlands, where her influence was stronger even than she imagined. miss teddington, though it was she who had asked mrs. arnold to institute and take charge of the meetings, had the discretion to keep out of the league herself, realizing that the presence of teachers might be a restraint, and that the management was better left in the hands of a trustworthy outsider.
to become an authorized camp-fire member was an ambition with most of the girls, and spurred many on to greater efforts than they would otherwise have attempted. all looked forward to the meetings, and there could be no greater punishment for certain offences than a temporary withdrawal of league privileges.
this september, after the long summer holiday, the reunion seemed of even more than ordinary importance.
the sun had set, the last gleam of the afterglow[pg 40] had faded, and the glade had grown full of dim shadows by the time everybody was present in the grove. the gentle rustle of the leafy boughs overhead, and the persistent tumbling rush of the stream, seemed like a faint orchestral accompaniment of nature for the ceremonial.
"is it a quakers' meeting or a freemasons' lodge? you're all very mum," asked rona, whom curiosity had led out with the others.
"sh-sh! we're waiting for our 'guardian of the fire'," returned ulyth, trying to suppress the loudness of the high-pitched voice. "mrs. arnold's generally very punctual. oh, there! i believe i hear her ringing her bicycle bell now. i'm going down the field to meet her."
ulyth regarded mrs. arnold with that intense adoration which a girl of fifteen often bestows on a woman older than herself. she ran now through the wood, hoping she might be in time to catch her idol on the drive and have just a few precious moments with her before she was joined by the others. there were many things she wanted to pour into her friend's ready ears, but she knew it would be impossible to monopolize her as soon as the rest of the girls knew of her arrival. she fled as on wings, therefore, and had the supreme satisfaction of being the first in the field. mrs. arnold, young, very fair, graceful, and golden-haired, looked a picture in her blue cycling costume as she leaned her machine against a tree and greeted her enthusiastic admirer.
"oh, you darling! i've such heaps to tell you!"[pg 41] began ulyth, clasping her tightly by the arm. "rona mitchell has come, and she's the most awful creature! i never was so disappointed in my life. don't you sympathize with me, when i expected her to be so ripping? she's absolute backwoods!"
"yes, i've heard all about her. poor child! she must have had a strange training. it's time indeed she began to learn something."
"she's not learned anything in new zealand. oh, her voice will just grate on you! and her manners! she's hopeless! everything she does and says is wrong. and to think she's been foisted on to me, of all people!"
"poor child!" repeated mrs. arnold. ("which of us does she mean?" thought ulyth.) "she's evidently raw material. every diamond needs polishing. what an opportunity for a torch-bearer!"
ulyth dropped her friend's arm suddenly. it was not at all the answer she had expected. moreover, at least a dozen girls had come running up and were claiming their chief's attention. in a species of triumphant procession mrs. arnold was escorted into the glade and installed on her throne of state, a seat made of logs and decorated with ferns. everyone clustered round to welcome her, and for the moment she was the centre of an enthusiastic crowd. ulyth followed more slowly. she was feeling disturbed and put out. what did mrs. arnold mean? surely not——? a sudden thought had flashed into her mind but she thrust it away[pg 42] indignantly. oh no, that was quite impossible! it was outrageous of anybody to make the suggestion. and yet—and yet—the uneasy voice that had been haunting her for the last four days began to speak with even more vehemence. with a sigh of relief she heard the signal given for "attention", and cast the matter away from her for the moment. every eye was fixed on their leader. the ceremony was about to begin.
mrs. arnold rose, and in her clear, sweet voice proclaimed:
"the guardian of the fire calls on the wood-gatherers to bring their fuel."
at once a dozen girls came forward, each dragging a tolerably large bundle of brushwood. they deposited these in a circle, saluted, and retired.
"fire-makers, do your work!" commanded the leader.
eight girls responded, ulyth among the number, and seizing the brushwood, they built it deftly into a pile. all stood round, waiting in silence while their chief struck a match and applied a light to some dried leaves and bracken that had been placed beneath. the flame rose up like a scarlet ribbon, and in a few moments the dry fuel was ablaze and crackling. the gleam lighting up the glade displayed a picturesque scene. the boles of the trees might have been the pillars in some ancient temple, with the branches for roof. close by the cascade of the stream leapt white against a background of dim darkness. the harvest moon, full and golden, was rising behind the crest of cwm dinas. an owl[pg 43] flew hooting from the wood higher up the glen. mrs. arnold stood waiting until the bonfire was well alight, then she turned to the expectant girls.
"i've no need to tell most of you why we have met here to-night; but for the benefit of a few who are new-comers to the woodlands i should like briefly to explain the objects of the camp-fire league. the purpose of the organization is to show that the common things of daily life are the chief means of beauty, romance, and adventure, to cultivate the outdoor habit, and to help girls to serve the community—the larger home—as well as the individual home. in these ultra-modern times we must especially devote ourselves to the service of the country, and try by every means in our power to make our league of some national use. first let us repeat together the rules of the camp-fire league:
"'1. seek beauty. 2. give service. 3. pursue knowledge. 4. be trustworthy. 5. hold on to health. 6. glorify work. 7. be happy.'
"seeking beauty includes more than looking for superficial adornment. beauty is in all life, in nature, in people, in the love of one's heart, in virtue and a radiant disposition. the value of service depends largely upon the attitude of mind of the one rendering it. joy in the performance of some needed service in behalf of parent, teacher,[pg 44] friend, or country constitutes a part of the very essence of goodness, and multiplies the good already abiding in the heart. this is the third anniversary of the founding of a branch of the league at the woodlands. so far the work has been very encouraging, and i am glad to say that to-night we have candidates eligible for all three ranks. it shall now be the business of the meeting formally to admit them. candidates for wood-gatherers, present yourselves!"
six of the younger girls came forward and saluted.
"can you repeat, and will you promise to obey, the seven rules of the camp-fire law?"
each responded audibly in the affirmative.
"then you are admitted to the initial rank of wood-gatherers, you are awarded the white badge of service, and may sign your names as accepted members of the league."
the six retired to make way for a higher grade, and eight other girls stepped into the firelight.
"candidates for fire-makers, you have passed three months with good characters as wood-gatherers, and you have proved your ability to render first aid, keep accounts, tie knots, and prepare and serve a simple meal; you have each committed to memory some good poem, and have acquainted yourself with the career of some able, public-spirited woman. having thus shown your wish to serve the community, repeat the fire-maker's desire."
and all together the eight girls chanted:[pg 45]
"as fuel is brought to the fire so i purpose to bring my strength, my ambition, my heart's desire, my joy, and my sorrow to the fire of human kind. for i will tend as my fathers have tended and my fathers' fathers since time began, the fire that is called the love of man for man, the love of man for god."
mrs. arnold said a few kind words to each as she pinned on their red badges. only novices who had stood the various tests with credit were raised to the honour of the second rank. those who had failed must perforce continue as wood-gatherers for another period of three months.
there remained one further and higher rank, only attainable after six months' ardent and trustworthy service as fire-makers. to-night three girls were to be admitted to its privileges, and helen cooper, doris deane, and ulyth stanton presented themselves. with grave faces they repeated the torch-bearer's desire:
"that light which has been given to me i desire to pass undimmed to others."
ulyth kissed mrs. arnold's pretty hand as the long-coveted yellow badge was fastened on to her dress, side by side with the union jack. she[pg 46] was so glad to be a torch-bearer at last. she had become a candidate when the league was first founded three years ago, and all that time she had been slowly working towards the desired end of the third rank. one or two slips had hindered her progress, but last term she had made a very special effort, and it was sweet to meet with her reward. torch-bearers were mostly to be found among the sixth and upper fifth; she was the only girl in v b who had won so high a place. she touched the yellow ribbon tenderly. it meant so much to her.
now that the serious business of the meeting was over, the fun was about to begin. the big camp-kettle was produced and filled at the stream, and then set to boil upon the embers. cups and spoons made their appearance. cocoa and biscuits were to be the order of the evening, followed by as many songs, dances, and games as time permitted. squatting on the grass, the girls made a circle round their council-fire. marjorie earnshaw, one of the sixth, had brought her guitar, and struck the strings every now and then as an earnest of the music she intended to bring from it later on. everybody was in a jolly mood, and inclined to laugh at any pun, however feeble. mrs. arnold, always bright and animated, surpassed herself, and waxed so amusing that the circle grew almost hysterical. the wood-gatherers, whose office it was to mix the cocoa, supplied cup after cup, and refilled the kettle so often that they ventured to air the time-honoured joke that the stream would[pg 47] run dry, for which ancient chestnut they were pelted with pebbles.
when at last nobody could even pretend to be thirsty any longer, the cups were rinsed in the pool and stacked under a tree, and the concert commenced. part-songs and catches sounded delightful in the open air, and solos, sung to the accompaniment of marjorie's guitar, were equally effective. the girls roared the choruses to popular national ditties, and special favourites were repeated again and again. several step-dances were executed, and had a weird effect in the unsteady light of the waning fire. mrs. arnold, who was a splendid elocutionist, gave a recitation on an incident in the american war, and was enthusiastically encored. the moon had risen high in the sky, and was peeping through the tree-tops as if curious to see who had invaded so sylvan a spot as the glade. the silver beams caught the ripples of the stream and made the shadows seem all the darker.
it was a glorious beginning for the new term, as everybody agreed, and an earnest of the fun that was in store later on.
"we shan't be able to camp out next meeting, but we'll have high jinks in the hall," purred beth broadway.
"yes; mrs. arnold says she has a lovely programme for the winter, and we're to have candles instead of fuel," agreed lizzie lonsdale, who had been raised that evening to the rank of fire-maker.[pg 48]
"trust mrs. arnold to find something new for us to do!" murmured ulyth, looking fondly in the direction of her ideal.
"my gracious, i call this meeting no end!" piped a cheerful voice in her ear; and rona, smiling with all-too-obtrusive friendliness, plumped down by her side. "you've good times here, and no mistake! i think i'll be a candidate myself next, if that's the game to play. you're a high-and-mighty one, aren't you? let's have a look at your badge!"
"if you dare to touch it!" flared ulyth, putting up her hand to guard her cherished token.
"why, i wouldn't do it any harm, i promise you; i wouldn't finger it! it means something, doesn't it? i didn't quite catch what it was. you might tell me. how'm i ever to get to know if you won't?"
rona's clear blue eyes, unconsciously wistful, looked straight into ulyth's. the latter sprang to her feet without a word. the force of her own motto seemed suddenly to be revealed to her. she rushed away into the shadow of the trees to think it over for herself.
"that light which has been given to me i desire to pass undimmed to others."
those were the words she had repeated so earnestly less than an hour ago. and she was already about to make them a mockery! yes, that was what mrs. arnold had meant. she had known it all the time, but she would not acknowledge it[pg 49] even to her innermost heart. was this what was required from a torch-bearer—to pass on her own refinement and culture to a girl whose crudities offended every particle of her fastidious taste? ulyth sat down on a stone and wept hot, bitter, rebellious tears. she understood only too well why she had been so miserable for the last three days. she had disliked miss bowes for hinting that she was not keeping her word, and had told herself that she was a much-tried and ill-used person.
"i must do it, i must, or fail at the very beginning!" she sobbed. "i know what mother would say. it's got to be; if for nothing else, for the sake of the school. a torch-bearer mustn't shirk and break her pledge. oh, how i shall loathe it, hate it! ulyth stanton, do you realize what you're undertaking? your whole term's going to be spoilt."
the big bell in the tower was clanging its summons to return, with short, impatient strokes. everybody joined hands in a circle round the ashes of the camp-fire, to sing in a low chant the good-night song of the league and "god save the queen". mr. arnold, who had come to fetch his wife, was sounding his hooter as a signal on the drive. the evening's fun was over. regretfully the girls collected cups, spoons, and kettle, and made their way back to the house.
on sunday morning ulyth, with a very red face, marched into the study, and announced:
"miss bowes, i've been having a tussle. one-[pg 50]half of me said: 'don't have rona in your room at any price!' and the other half said: 'let her stop!' i've decided to keep her."
"i knew you would, when you'd thought it over," beamed miss bowes.
"are all new zealanders the same?" asked ulyth. "i've not met one before."
"certainly not. most of them are quite as cultured and up-to-date as ourselves. there are splendid schools in new zealand, and excellent opportunities for study of every kind. poor rona, unfortunately, has had to live on a farm far away from civilization, and her education and welfare in every respect seem to have been utterly neglected. don't take her as a type of new zealand! but she'll soon improve if we're all prepared to help her. i'm glad you're ready to be her real friend."
"i'll try my best!" sighed ulyth.
