Always remember that in going through this world we only pass this way
once, and if we miss our chance it never comes again.
I believe that our first business in life is to be happy. This world
with all its beauties and its sunshine of happiness was meant for us
to enjoy. When clouds come over with grief or pain, they are only the
contrasts to show us what true happiness is and to make us appreciate
it when it comes.
The shortest and most certain way to happiness is to make other people
happy. Even if we cannot make them happy, we can at least be helpful
to them. But so often we forget to do this, or, as I did in the
motor-car, leave it till too late, and let the chance slip by.
In order to be continually happy, the thing is to be continually doing
good turns. To get a habit you must at first carry out a great deal of
practice, and that is why it is part of the Scout Law to do a good
turn every day.
At first it may come a little difficult to remember each day that you
have this duty to do, and you may have some trouble in finding a job
that will be helpful to other people but if you stick to it, and force
yourself to do it day by day, it very soon grows into a habit with
you, and you then find how many little things you can do which all
count as good turns although small in themselves.
I could tell you endless yarns of the different kinds of "good turns"
which the Boy Scouts have done, but one of the most pleasing that I
have heard lately was when a Scout carefully placed a piece of orange
peel on the pavement, and when asked why he had done this, said:
"I am doing a good turn to some other Scout by giving him the
opportunity of doing his good turn by removing that orange peel so
that people will not slip on it!"
* * * * *
"AN AWFUL ACCIDENT."
A poor fellow was lying pretty badly hurt when I came upon him one
afternoon. His left leg was broken, and an artery in his right arm was
cut through, while he was evidently badly burnt about the chest.
How it all happened I didn't stop to inquire--I merely looked at the
steps which had already been taken to doctor him. His arm was bound up
with a handkerchief "tourniquet," twisted tight with a stick, to stop
the blood squirting from the artery; his leg was bound between two
straight bits of wood; and his tummy was covered with a mixture of
wool, oil, and flour, which suggested that with a little more roasting
the patient would have made a good pie!
I need scarcely add there was not much the matter with him except that
he belonged to a patrol of Boy Scouts who were practising "first aid."
In the same troop another patrol were cooking a very savoury Irish
stew, mixing dough on a haversack (which, I think, is quite as good as
my way of doing it inside my coat!), and baking bread in an oven made
out of an old biscuit tin, and roasting "twists" made on stakes
planted near the fire. (For "Tenderfoots," anxious for details as to
how these things are done, I recommend a study of the chapter on camp
cooking in _Scouting for Boys_.)
The point about this cooking was that the food was being really well
cooked, and fit for anyone to eat with enjoyment.
In the same troop signallers were at work sending and receiving
messages. And also one of their horsemen was there to act as mounted
dispatch rider, with a smart pony which he was able to saddle and look
after as well as to ride. Nearly every Scout in this troop was a First
Class Scout, of an average age of thirteen.
Two hundred yards from their little camp was another troop of younger
Scouts, of about eleven years of age. All were busy cooking their teas
at numerous little camp fires at the time when I saw them, and made a
most picturesque scene.
Then a third troop had its camp in a different spot, where three
patrols of boys of about fifteen years of age were collected. Fine,
strapping, long-limbed types of Britons. It was a pleasure to see them
going "Scout pace" across the grass, and a still greater pleasure when
I found that they were as good Scouts as they looked. Nearly all were
First Class Scouts. I was invited to hand out to them the Efficiency
Badges they had been winning.
These included quite a number of First Class, Cyclists', Firemen's,
Musicians', Electricians', Cooks', etc.
I had just said a few words to the troop of my pleasure at seeing them
so smart and so efficient, when the alarm was given that the school
buildings were on fire. A few brief words of command were given by the
Scoutmaster, and each patrol streaked off in a different direction at
a great pace. We hurried to the scene of the outbreak, and had just
time to see (in our mind's eye only) dense clouds of smoke with
tongues of flame and showers of sparks bursting from the doomed
building, while the windows were alive with terrified women and
screaming children--that is what we were picturing--when out came a
knot of Scouts running the fire-hose into position, and joining it up
from one part of the building, while from another there came a second
patrol trundling along the great giraffe-like fire-escape. Within four
minutes of the alarm the leading fireman was up on the ladder
directing the nozzle of the hose-pipe with a strong jet of water on
the windows of the (supposed) burning chamber.
It was all very smartly, quickly, and quietly carried out, and the
patrols thoroughly deserved the Firemen's Badges which they had won.
Denstone College, where I saw all this, is one of the great schools
which have taken up scouting as a sport and training for their boys;
and the results, according to the masters who act as Scoutmasters, are
most satisfactory.
* * * * *