CAMP AT LAST
“Our luck has turned, girls; it poured at Portland and is drizzling
here!”
“But we’ve had lovely days for all the important sight-seeing. Do
you remember how perfectly bright and wonderful it was that day on
the St. Lawrence? The water sparkled and foamed, and the sky was so
blue,—”
“Listen to Lilian, our optimist,” spoke Hilary. “She’s our mascot
for good weather. By the way, Miss West, I have to get some sneakers
and a bathing cap in Bath.”
“So do I,” said Evelyn and Betty together, whereat they turned, made
mysterious signs and repeated “thumbs” together.
“How many million years have girls done that?” asked Patricia. “We
shall have quite a little shopping to do at Bath, but all the stores
are near together. I need ink, some tablets and magazines. Whoever
comes down the river for us will probably have a lot of errands to
do, as usual. We’ll do ours and then go down to the dock and wait.
It will not be later than four o’clock, I think, when we start up
the river.”
It was the little Papoose from the boys’ camp that came for them. On
account of the drizzle, the canopy was up, an affair not unlike the
top of a prairie schooner, but, alas, not as high. Some of the
occupants had to assume a bending posture. Helen declared that she
had a “puhmahnent cuhve” in her back, and for weeks Hilary referred
to the submarine stunt of their first arrival. But it was fun to
peep out at the water, the rocks, and the green trees that lined the
banks, and the Papoose safely chugged her way to Merrymeeting.
“Here we are; hooray for Merrymeeting!” cried Jean, as she stepped
upon Merrymeeting’s floating dock and ran lightly up to the more
solid portion above the washing of tides; for the Kennebec is
affected by the sea tides, and as far up as Merrymeeting Bay there
is a difference of from six to eight feet in the depth of the water,
according to the tide.
Up the little rise they filed to the level ground which stretches
broadly at the river front and holds the big dining hall and the
boat house; then again they proceeded up the gradual ascent to the
Club House, which is the center of Merrymeeting life. There the
girls were welcomed and assigned to the different “Klondikes” or
cottages. The other campers and councillors had only arrived at
noon, hence a scene of great activity. Basins and pitchers were
being given out. Cots and mattresses were being placed or changed in
tents and klondikes. Trunks were being delivered and directions of
all sorts given. In spite of the damp grass and misty atmosphere,
everybody seemed happy, the old campers glad to get back.
“You don’t know how lovely it is here,” said one and another to the
new comers. “Wait till the sun comes out!”
Already Marjorie, Jean and Rhoda had joined girls whom they knew in
school in Cincinnati. Hilary knew a few more of them, though she had
not lived there very long. The Greycliff girls had asked to be
together, but Patricia explained that assignments were usually made
on account of age. “We have Seniors, Intermediates and Juniors. And
then you don’t want to be in a separate group, do you? There are
girls from several different private schools and high schools in
different cities, East and West. You will lose sight of other
organizations and just be Merrymeeting campers together.”
“That is much better,” acknowledged Hilary at once. “I did not think
of it. Of course we don’t want to be a little club by ourselves!”
“However,” continued Patricia, “for another reason I want to put you
four Greycliff room-mates together. Helen and Evelyn are to be
together in a different klondike. June will have to go to
‘Laugh-a-Lot,’ and I shall be there, for a while at least.”
“O, good!” exclaimed June, who had felt a slight qualm at the idea
of being separated from Hilary.
“Here, Frances Anderson,” called Patricia to a tall, fine-looking
girl who was passing. “Aren’t you at Squirrels’ Inn? I thought so.
Please show these girls where it is—Hilary Lancaster, Cathalina Van
Buskirk, Lilian North and Betty Barnes,—” with which brief
introduction Miss West was off to see about some affairs of her own,
June’s hand tucked under her arm.
“Squirrels’ Inn!” exclaimed Lilian. “Our future residence?”
Frances was friendly and enjoyed initiating the girls into the way
of camp. They stood chatting a few minutes, then moved on over the
wrinkled gray rocks and grass around the Club House toward
Squirrels’ Inn. But a gay voice called them before they had gone
far.
“Cathalina Van Buskirk! Hil and Lil! Betty! O, joy!” From the
“Wiggly” side of the double cottage called Piggly-Wiggly, who should
come running but Isabel! “Have you seen Eloise? She’s down at her
klondike getting settled.”
“At Squirrels’ Inn?”
“No; the one down by the pine grove. May I come over with you? I was
just over with Eloise and met Helen and Evelyn going to the same
cottage. There are a lot of girls down there. We’ve got a house full
too. Such doings! I’m crazy about this place already.”
On to Squirrels’ Inn they went and met their young councillor, with
two more girls, Marion Thurman and Nora McNeil. A busy time
followed. This klondike at first arranged its cots on one side and
trunks on the other. Wiggly, where Isabel escorted the girls later,
had a cot and its trunk, then another cot with its accompanying
trunk, and so on, around the big room. “I like your cottage,” said
Isabel, “because it has that back porch hanging over the hillside,
so convenient for drying or sunning bathing suits or bathrobes.”
“Trust Isabel for finding all about a place in a few hours,”
remarked Cathalina. “It would be a month before half that Isabel
sees in two minutes would make any impression on me.”
“Why, I thought you had traveled a good deal, Cathalina; don’t you
notice things?”
“Yes, what I’m interested in, but Isabel sees everything.”
“O, Mother only put in two sheets!” This came from Betty, who was
diving into her trunk. “Yes, here are some more.”
“My, Cathalina, your steamer rug looks nice over your cot!”
“I’ve got a big grey army blanket.”
“Just look at Betty’s Indian blanket! Who gave it to you, Betty?”
“My Aunt; I got it this summer in Canada.”
“I think we’d better spread our ponchos over our cots, don’t you?
It’s so damp tonight.”
“I haven’t any.”
“Very likely there are some at the office that you can buy. You’ll
probably want one.”
“I have a good rain-coat.”
“Just the thing; spread that over your blankets tonight.”
“There’s the supper bell. We have dinner at noon, supper at six.
Come on, that’s the second bell.”
The old farm bell hung high, as it had when Merrymeeting was a farm
and was swinging and ringing cheerfully, while one of the little
girls pulled the rope, by orders from headquarters. Down hill the
girls ran or walked to the big dining-room with its long tables.
“We can look right out on the lake, can’t we?” said Betty.
“River, you mean, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course; but doesn’t it make you think of a lake someway? It
is so broad here.”
“It makes me think more of the St. Lawrence,” said Cathalina, “with
the islands and the rocks and the pretty rippling water.”
“Those little islands are the Burnt Jackets. Didn’t you notice that
your boat rocked a little coming through the Burnt Jackets? The
Indians named them.”
At supper it was announced that the first Camp Fire would be at the
Club House shortly. The bell would ring. Duly the big family
assembled, stopping, many of them to look at the glorious rainbow
which was appearing in the East. “O, it’s double, girls!” said
Isabel.
“Didn’t you ever see anything like that before?” asked one superior
damsel, going on inside.
“Chile, dat means it’s goin’ to cleah up,” replied Evelyn in her
best dialect.
Within it seemed like bedlam for a while till a whistle blew and one
of the older girls took charge as leader of songs and cheers, and
one of the councillors who sat on the floor among the girls tuned up
her “light guitar”. There was a piano, but it was not used at this
first Camp Fire. In the big fireplace the wood fire glowed and
cracked, drying a long line of shoes which stood before it, filling
the Assembly Hall with comfort and good cheer, and reminding some of
the campers from the hot cities that they were up in Maine.
“A few things to be remembered, girls,” said the head councillor.
“The first bell in the morning will be for the dip, at seven
o’clock, but there will be none tomorrow morning, not until the next
Friday morning. At five minutes of eight the bell rings for setting
up exercises. Come promptly, down by the dining-room. Breakfast is
at eight. Right after breakfast you go back to your klondikes to get
them in order for inspection. You receive a certain number of points
for neat order and a banner goes every week to the most orderly
klondike.
“The plans for the games and the teams will be announced. We are
going to have all kinds of good times. You all have a special place
to fit in and will be on a team. There will be a hare and hounds
chase soon, a Mystery Hunt that I can not tell you about or it would
not be a mystery, tournaments and a swimming meet and a picnic down
at the boys’ island. Until the canoe tests no one is allowed to go
out in a canoe. And only in groups of three or more may you go into
the pine grove. We never have had prowlers, but take no chances. No
girl ever goes off the grounds, and your councillor should always
know where you are.”
“About the candy, please?”
“When any candy is received in camp, the girl is called to the
office, opens the box herself, is given half a pound and the rest
goes into the general supply. Occasionally a dish of candy will be
on each table at the dining-room. And by the way, Lilian North has
the first box of candy. Go and get it for her, Frances. Come,
Lilian, it came before you arrived. You may open it and pass it
around now if you like.”
It was quite evident that the box was a surprise to Lilian, but she
rose to the occasion, opened the big box on the table in the little
room at the end of the assembly hall, slipped the card it contained
into her sweater pocket, and amid applause and cries of “What’s the
matter with Lilian North?” or “Speech, speech!” passed the box
around, first throwing little handfuls of bonbons into the laps and
upstretched hands of the smaller children.
“My, your father is good to you!” exclaimed June innocently, as
Lilian sat down by her chums again. Hilary looked mischievous and
Cathalina pretended to lean against Betty for support. Lilian’s
cheeks were rosy with blushes, but she carried it off well and kept
her hand on the card in her pocket till she should have a good
chance to look at it privately.
“Everybody in on this yell!” announced the cheer leader:
“One, two, three, four!
Three, two, one, four!
_Who_ for?
_What_ for?
What y’ going to yell for?—
Merrymeeting!”