OTHER DAYS AND OTHER WAYS
Under the new conditions of life in the devastated country of France, it
has been difficult to set down the effect which the change of
environment, the change of interest and of inspiration had upon each
individual member of the Sunrise Camp Fire unit.
Certainly their present daily life bore but a faint resemblance to their
former outdoor summer encampments in various picturesque places in the
United States. Nevertheless the Camp Fire girls always had considered
that they were doing useful work merely by following the rules of their
camp fire and by gaining the honors necessary to the growth of their
organization and their own official rank.
Now they realized that all their efforts had been but a preparation for
the service they were at present undertaking. There was no detail of
their past experience which was not of service, their Health Craft, Camp
Craft, Home Craft, Business and Patriotism. Why, their very watch cry,
"Wohelo"--work, health and love--embodied the three gifts they were
trying to restore to the poverty-stricken French people in this
particular neighborhood upon "the field of honor!"
On this afternoon, in spite of the cold, the girls had arranged to hold
their first out-of-doors Camp Fire meeting since their arrival in
France.
For weeks they had been working among the young French girls in the
villages and the country near at hand, persuading them to spend whatever
leisure they had in studying the Camp Fire ideas and activities.
Bettina Graham and Alice Ashton had introduced as much Camp Fire study
as possible into the regular routine of the school which they held daily
in the big schoolroom at the farm. Even with the younger children there
were like suggestions of play and of service which Marta Clark and
Yvonne were able to give.
But until this afternoon there had been no actual organization of the
first group of Camp Fire girls in France. Strange that with Camp Fires
in England, Australia, Africa, Japan, China and other foreign places,
there should have been none in France! But Yvonne Fleury could have
explained that, unlike American girls, French girls were not accustomed
to intimate association with one another, their lives up to the time of
their marriage being spent in seclusion among the members of their own
family.
Indeed, upon this same afternoon Yvonne was thinking of this as she
dressed slowly before going outdoors to join the other girls. The house
was empty save that Mere 'Toinette was working downstairs.
Marta Clark and Peggy had been kind enough to make her a simple Camp
Fire costume, the khaki skirt and blouse, which formed their ordinary
service costume. Notwithstanding she had been studying the Camp Fire
manual and trying to acquire the necessary honors, this was the first
time Yvonne had worn the costume.
How utterly unlike anything she had ever dreamed were these past weeks
in her life! From the moment of her confession of weakness and the
telling of her story to Mrs. Burton, Yvonne had deliberately chosen to
remain with her rather than continue with the canteen work which she had
originally planned to do in returning to her own country.
For one reason she had fallen under the spell of Mrs. Burton's sympathy
and charm; moreover, the girls in the Camp Fire work were nearer her own
age and were to undertake a character of occupation in which she felt
herself able to be useful. They were also going to live in the
neighborhood of her old home before the outbreak of the war.
As a matter of fact, although Yvonne had preferred not to confide the
information to any one except Mrs. Burton, she was at present not fifty
miles from the chateau in France where she had lived until the night
word came that she and her family must fly before the oncoming horde of
the enemy.
Well, more than three years had passed since that night, three years
which sometimes seemed an eternity to Yvonne. She had no wish to revisit
the ruins of her old home, no wish to be reminded of it. There was no
one left for whom she cared except perhaps a few neighbors.
However, in the last few weeks Yvonne ordinarily did not permit herself
to become depressed. This much she felt she owed to Mrs. Burton's
kindness and to the comradeship which had been so generously given to
her by the Camp Fire girls. Yvonne felt a particular affection for each
one of them. She could not of course feel equally attracted. So far she
cared most for Peggy Webster and for Mary Gilchrist, possibly attracted
toward Mary because she also was an outsider like herself. Then Mary's
boyish attitude toward life, her utter freedom even from the knowledge
of the conventions in which Yvonne had been so carefully reared, at
first startled, then amused the young French girl. But for Peggy
Webster, Yvonne had a peculiar feeling of love and admiration. This may
have been partly due to the fact that Peggy was Mrs. Burton's niece and
so shared in the glamor of the great lady's personality, but it was more
a tribute to Peggy's own character.
After Yvonne's pathetic account of her history, Mrs. Burton had told at
least a measure of her story to Peggy. She had asked Peggy to invoke the
compassion and aid of the other girls and to do what she could for
Yvonne herself.
To Peggy's strength, to the freedom and the courage of her outlook upon
life, Yvonne's tragic story had appealed strongly, but more Yvonne's
timidity. Often the young French girl appeared unwilling to go on with
the daily struggle of life when everything for which she had ever cared
had been taken from her.
Among the American Camp Fire girls there was only one girl for whom
Yvonne felt a sensation of distrust which almost amounted to a dislike,
and this was Sally Ashton. Nevertheless, in the early days of their
acquaintance, Yvonne had not this point of view. Then she had admired
Sally's prettiness, the gold brown of her hair and eyes, her white skin
and even her indolent manners and graces. Yet recently Yvonne had become
aware of a circumstance, or rather of a series of circumstances, which
had first surprised, then puzzled and finally repelled her.
In a few moments Yvonne left the farm house. If she were late at their
first outdoor camp fire she realized she would have no difficulty in
discovering the site they had selected, although it was at some distance
away.
Some time had passed since the arrival of the Camp Fire party in this
neighborhood of France and now even in the winter fields there was a
suggestion of approaching spring.
As Yvonne walked on she felt an unselfish joy, a greater lightness of
heart. Surely the spring would bring back some of her lost happiness to
France. There would be another great drive, another tragic contest of
strength, but the British and French lines would hold.
Yvonne had the great faith and courage of her people, now she had
learned to lay aside her personal sorrow.
In a few more weeks Miss Patricia's American tractor, which was indeed a
"strange god in a machine," would be able to turn these fields into
plowed land ready for the spring planting.
But now in a meadow, while still some distance away, Yvonne beheld an
American, a French and a British flag set up on temporary staffs, and
blending their colors and designs in a symbolic fashion as they floated
in the wind.
Yvonne paused for a moment to watch the group of her acquaintances and
friends.
Standing apart from the girls were Miss Patricia Lord, Mrs. Burton, and
the two visitors who had arrived only a few days before. They were the
guests whose approaching visit to the farm house Miss Patricia had so
openly deplored, one of them Mrs. Bishop and the other Monsieur Duval,
both of them ship acquaintances. Mrs. Bishop was in France to represent
an American magazine and was at present intending to write a series of
articles on the reclamation work along the Aisne and the Marne.
Monsieur Duval had given no explanation for his appearance save to
announce that he had some especial work on hand for his government in
the southern districts of France.
In spite of the fact that fuel was of such tremendous value in France at
the present time, the Camp Fire girls had permitted themselves the
extravagance of a fire to inaugurate their first outdoor Camp Fire
ceremony. The boxes in which Miss Patricia's various purchases had come
to the farm had proved useful for more than one service.
In a circle near the camp fire were eight young French girls who this
afternoon were to receive the wood-gatherers' rings. Just beyond them
the American girls were seated.
Peggy had been chosen to present the rings.
Possibly they were waiting for Yvonne's arrival, for no sooner had she
slipped silently into her place than Peggy Webster arose and recited the
Wood-gatherer's Desire.
"As fagots are brought from the forest,
Firmly held by the sinews which bind them,
I will cleave to my Camp Fire sisters
Wherever, whenever I find them.
"I will strive to grow strong like the pine tree,
To be pure in my deepest desire;
To be true to the truth that is in me
And follow the Law of the Fire."
Then she offered each one of the French girls a silver ring. When she
came to Yvonne, clasping the Fire Maker's bracelet about her wrist, she
whispered:
"We feel, Yvonne, that you have a right to a higher order in our new
Camp Fire group than the other members because of the help you have
given us in whatever work we have attempted since our arrival in France.
In fact, you are the leading French Camp Fire girl!"
A moment later, in answer to a signal, Mrs. Burton walked over and stood
just beyond the two circles of girls and the camp fire and close to the
Allied flags.
"There is not much I feel able to say to you," she began, speaking in a
simple and friendly fashion. "I think perhaps you are already beginning
to understand how intensely the people of the United States desire to
render to France a part of the debt we owe her. It is France who has
saved our liberty and the liberty of the entire world.
"Now I hope that the first group of Camp Fire girls in France will later
carry the flaming torch until the news of the Camp Fire movement has
spread through all the French land. In the Camp Fire life we look for
the romance, the beauty and the adventure which may be hidden in the
smallest task. More important than these things I hope Camp Fire girls
the world over may become a part of the new spirit everywhere growing up
among women, the spirit of union, the ability to work and play together
as men have in the past. For once all girls and women are united, there
will be a new league for peace among the nations such as this world has
never known."