UNDER THE ROSE MOON
In June the moon of the Camp Fire girls is known as the Rose Moon. But
there were no roses blooming near their camping grounds at Sunrise Hill
to-night and only the odor of the pines made the night air fragrant.
Betty went straight up to Miss McMurtry, however, and in her hand
carried a small cluster of pink roses.
"I brought you these from our garden at home this afternoon; the house
is closed, but our old gardener is miserable because no one is about to
enjoy his flowers. Please wear them."
Then before the older woman could do more than murmur "Thank you," Betty
had slipped away and taken her place in the circle of girls between Meg
and Esther, not without noticing, however, that their guardian looked
unusually well in a dress of plain white serge with her dark hair bound
about her head like a coronet. Also she saw that Miss McMurtry's face
had brightened, as she placed the flowers in her belt and felt that
peace was restored between them even before the beginning of their
ceremony of peace.
The little company had evidently been waiting for the appearance of
Betty and Polly, for now Miss McMurtry stepped into the center of their
group and there was instant silence. She looked slowly about at the ten
faces gazing upon her with rapt attention and then sang in a low tone,
and yet one that could be distinctly heard, this ancient Indian chant.
"To-day our Father (Sun) shone into our lodge, his power is very strong,
To-night our mother (Moon) shines into our lodge, her power is very
strong, I pray the Morning Star (their Son) that when he rises at
daybreak, he too will shine in to bless us and give us long life."
This chant signified the opening of the Council Fire. For the next
moment Miss McMurtry turned toward the heap of wood carefully placed in
the center of the circle, by the wood-gatherers. A little pile of paper
with some small chips and dried twigs on top of it lay on the ground,
above which leaned a pyramid of larger logs, waiting to be lighted.
Kneeling close by this pile the guardian of the Sunrise Camp Fire took
from her pocket a bit of flint and a piece of steel, striking them
sharply together. Tiny sparks flew forth but no answering crackle
resounded from the wood and paper, although the sparks darted in and out
among them like miniature fireflies. Once more Miss McMurtry tried her
flint and steel according to the prescribed rules, but again the result
was failure.
Of course matches were not a luxury at Sunrise Camp and in the making of
their daily fires the campers were not superior to the using of them,
but this lighting of their first real Council Fire was to be a truly
important ceremony and greatly the members desired to return to the
primitive method of fire-making.
There must be something more than superstition in the old axiom that the
third time is charm, perhaps three efforts are required for the training
of the human will; but however that may be, at the third striking
together of the metal and the flint the Sunrise Council fire sprang into
life, stick by stick it blazed forth, until at last a tongue of flame
leaping up in the air encircled the whole pyramid, setting the pine logs
into a splendid flare.
On ten different faces it shone, revealing as many characters when,
seated in Indian fashion on straw mats upon the ground, the Camp Fire
girls now repeated in unison their "Ode to Fire."
"Oh, Fire! Long years ago when our fathers fought with great animals you
were their protection. From the cruel cold of winter, you saved them.
When they needed food you changed the flesh of beasts into savory meat
for them. During all the ages your mysterious flame has been a symbol to
them for Spirit. So (to-night) we light our fire in remembrance of the
Great Spirit who gave you to us."
Then Polly slowly arose from her place, approached the flames and cast
upon them a great bunch of sweet dried grass; a moment later the rising
smoke filled the air with an odor like incense.
But the chief feature of to-night's ceremony was to be the elevation of
Esther Clark to the rank of Fire-Maker. For three months had she been
working to gain the fourteen necessary requirements and the twenty
elective honors, yet now as the moment for receiving her reward drew
near she felt a strong disposition to run away. Betty must have guessed
her feeling, for at the critical moment she slipped her arm through the
older girl's, smiling at her and pressing her hand encouragingly.
"Don't be foolish and don't be frightened, Esther," she whispered
encouragingly, "for you are only to receive the honor that is your just
due!"
Curious how often in the years that would follow, these same simple
words of Betty's were to be repeated in almost the same form to the girl
now seated at her side!
Seeing that Esther was too timid to approach the center of the circle
alone, Betty accompanied her, standing a little to one side, while
Esther, in order to show her complete understanding of the whole Camp
Fire idea, repeated once again in her low beautiful voice (almost her
only attraction at this time of her life) "The Firemaker's Desire," the
same verse she had recited to Betty Ashton over her own fire on the day
of their first meeting in the Ashton home. Then Miss McMurtry slipped
over Esther's head a string of twenty shining beads representing her new
honors, and amid much clapping of hands from their small audience the
two girls returned to their places, Esther wondering if she were not
almost as happy in Betty's companionship as in her new title. For
remember, she had never had any intimate tie in her life, no father or
mother, no sisters or brothers, and only the care and kindness of
strangers until Miss McMurtry had made of her a friend.
All this time Polly O'Neill has been vainly trying to pretend that she
is devoutly interested in what is taking place, although any one knowing
her would have understood that Polly's real attention was absorbed in
the feature of their Council Fire ceremony in which she was to play the
leading role. Now without further delay, and followed by Meg, Eleanor,
Beatrice and the faithful Sylvia, she disappeared into the Pine grove
not far from the gathering of the Council, while the remaining girls and
their guardian drew nearer to their own fire, heaping it with fresh pine
branches.
And by and by, from the edge of the trees, the same notes from the
reed-like whistle that had called Betty to her place in the ceremony of
peace, now about to take place, were repeated. Then along a white path
of moonlight, in their Indian costumes, the five girls led by Polly,
swaying her pipes of peace slowly above her head, came dancing with a
queer, rhythmical movement of their bodies, arms and feet.
A strange spectacle for these modern days, and yet many such an Indian
dance had taken place in these same New England hills hundreds of years
before!
As they drew near enough to be plainly seen by the little party waiting
in their "earth lodge," Betty got up from her place, lifting on high a
fluttering white handkerchief tied to a birch pole.
In the old days there were always two parties to this ancient Indian
ceremony of peace: those bringing the calumets were called "the fathers"
and those receiving them "the children". So it was necessary that Betty
should now indicate that "the children" were willing to receive the
blessing the other party desired to bring.
The five visiting girls stood facing those seated on the ground; Polly
standing before their guardian and still waving her blue and green
perforated sticks made her carefully memorized speech with the dramatic
intensity dear to her theatrical soul.
"These pipes of peace once symbolized heaven and earth to the Indians
and the mysterious power that permeates all nature. In their presence
the Indians were taught to care for their children, to think of the
future welfare of their people and to live at peace with one another.
The Indians were supposed to be a savage race and yet their prayer seems
to come very near to the ideals of the Camp Fire girls. May we also
live in peace with one another, learning from the women of the past all
that was best in their lives and refitting it to the needs of the now
women of to-day and to-morrow."
Then at the end of her invocation she moved quietly from one Camp Fire
girl to the other, waving her blessing of peace over each bowed head.
And as she moved she sang the Indian song of peace, the other girls
straightway joining in, but it was not Polly's voice but Esther's that
carried the music of the refrain far out over the fields, carried it at
last to the ears of some one who had been seeking the home of the
Sunrise Camp for the past two hours.
"Down through the ages vast On wings strong and true, From great
Wa-kon-da comes Good will to you--Peace that shall here remain."