UNCLE JOHN’S
They arrived in Columbus where Uncle John greeted them affectionately
and insisted upon kissing his sister-in-law. Mrs. Hollister was
persuaded not to go to camp until after a few days, when the girls
should be settled. Then Uncle John was to take her up. So Ethel, Kate,
and the girls, with one new member, went alone.
Save that Nora Casey wore mourning and seemed quiet, everything was the
same as the summer before. Patty Sands was wild with delight upon seeing
Ethel. Edna Whitely was the same happy-go-lucky Edna as of old. Mollie
Long and Edith Overman had grown very tall, while Sallie Davis had
become a perfect roly poly. She had gained twenty pounds and was
constantly dieting and taking long walks.
Mattie Hastings cried when she beheld Ethel. Mattie had grown quiet and
dignified, while in her face she showed more character.
Ethel looked at them all, especially at Honora.
“Can I not put my dislike of that girl behind me?” she thought. “Why
can’t I be nice to her?”
She tried hard. She began asking her of her mother, and tears filled
Nora’s eyes, but after a while her voice began to take on its old shrill
tones, while in her manner there came that indescribable something that
had always repelled Ethel.
“That girl is my cross,” she thought. “I must like her, and yet I can’t.
I shall never become worthy to be a Camp Fire Girl until I overcome it.
I wonder if she’ll affect Mother as she does me.”
“Ethel was now a Fire Maker. In addition to her Wood Gatherer’s ring she
wore the pretty silver bracelet of the Fire Maker.”
The second evening they had a Council Fire. The wood and kindling had
been gathered and brought by Edna Whitely and a new girl named Kate
Winthrop, who had never been to Camp before. Edna couldn’t seem to
advance. She was actually too lazy to work for honors and it worried
Kate Hollister not a little.
“What’s the difference?” she would say. “Someone will have to gather
wood and we have but one new girl—that’s Kate. You may be glad that I
stayed.”
The girls looked pretty in their brown ceremonial gowns and their long
hair banded with the ceremonial band. Ethel advanced and lighted the
fire, intoning the usual Fire Makers’ song. Then they had the exercises.
Honors were awarded and several girls advanced to the next higher grade.
This is the Fire Makers’ ode to Fire that they intoned as Ethel lighted
the Council Fire: “Oh, Fire, long years ago when our fathers fought with
the 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 (tonight) we light our
fire in remembrance of the great Spirit who gave you to us.”
In the darkness of the woods with the bright flames shooting upward the
effect of the chanting was weird, mysterious and unusual.
Then Kate showed Ethel the typed copy of the Legend of Ohio which had
been attached to each count book, handing her a copy for her own.
The roll was called, reports read of the last Council Fire, and of the
weekly meeting. Edna Whitely had really exerted herself and had written
it in clever rhyme.
Then to their surprise a report of Ethel’s and Patty’s kindness to
Mattie Hastings was read. It seems that Mattie’s conscience had troubled
her and at one of the meetings she had confessed it all and how she had
been saved by the two girls. She also requested that it should be read
upon Ethel’s return. It told how under unusual distress she had been
tempted to do a great wrong,—how the two girls caused her to make
restitution, and how after that they placed Mollie in the Cripples
School, and that now she was on her way to recovery. It said that she
began from then to try and lead a better life and that with God’s help
she was doing so.
The girls looked at one another, but although they made no sign they
knew what the wrong was. But they smiled at Mattie in the most friendly
way, Nora grasping her by the hand said:
“I hope yere sister will be after walkin’ soon.”
Then came the Wohelo ceremony. Mattie came forward and lighted a branch,
throwing it on the ashes, while Patty Sands knelt and lighted it
chanting:
“Wohelo means work. We glorify work because through work we are free. We
work to win, to conquer, to be masters. We work for the joy of working
and because we are free.”
Then she stepped back and Edith Overman came forward chanting and
lighting another branch.
“Wohelo means health. We hold on to health because through health we
serve and are happy; in caring for the health and beauty of our persons
we are caring for the very shrine of the Great Spirit. Wohelo means
health.”
Then Sallie Davis stepped forward while Edith retired. She lighted the
third branch which crackled and threw up numberless red sparks, after
which she chanted the last verse:
“I light the light of love, for Wohelo means love. We love Love, for
love is life and light and joy and sweetness. And love is comradeship
and motherhood and fatherhood, and all dear kinship. Love is the joy of
service so deep that self is forgotten. Wohelo means love.”
After that this song was sung:
“Lay me to sleep in thy sheltering flame,
O Master of the Hidden Fire.
Wash pure my heart and cleanse for me
My Soul’s desire.
In flame of sunrise bathe my soul
O Master of the Hidden Fire.
That when I wake clear-eyed may be
My Soul’s desire.”
This is by Fiona Macleod.
They stood around talking to Miss Kate for a little while, who walking
over to Mattie kissed her tenderly, after which each girl followed her
example before retiring, and poor Mattie was all broken up over it.
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