A Campfire Girls Test of Friendship | Page 7

be so
bound up in enjoying yourself that you don't think of anything else. But
people who do that soon get tired of just amusing themselves, so, as a
rule, there's no great harm done. They get so that everything they do
bores them, and they turn to something serious and useful, for a
change."
"But you just said having a good time was important--"
"And I meant it," said Eleanor, with a smile. "Because it's just as bad to
go to one extreme as to the other, and that's true in about everything.
People who never work, but spend all their time playing aren't happy,
as a rule, or healthy, either. And people who reverse that, and work all
the time without ever playing, are in just about the same boat, only
they're really worse off than the others, because it's harder for them to
change."
"I think I'm beginning to see what you mean, Miss Mercer."
"Why, of course you are, Marcia! It's in the middle ground that the
right answer lies. Work a little, and play a little, that's the way to get on
and be happy. When you've worked hard, you need some sort of
relaxation, and it's pretty important to know how to enjoy yourself, and
have a good time."
"And you certainly can have bully good times in the Camp Fire," said
Dolly, enthusiastically. "I've never enjoyed myself half so much as I
have since I've belonged. Why, we have bacon bats, and picnics, and all
sorts of things that are the best fun you ever dreamed of, Marcia. Much

nicer than those stiff old parties you and I used to go to all the time,
when we always did the same things, and could tell before we went just
what was going to happen."
"And the regular camp fires, the ceremonial ones, Dolly," reminded
Bessie. "Don't you think Marcia would enjoy that?"
"Oh, I know she would! Couldn't I bring her to one some time?" Dolly
asked Eleanor.
"She'll be very welcome, any time," said Eleanor with a smile. "There's
nothing secret about the Camp Fire meetings," she went on. "They're
not a bit like high school and private school fraternities or
sororities--whichever you call them."
"Why, look where we are!" said Marcia suddenly. "We'll be at the dock
pretty soon."
"Why, so we will!" Eleanor said. "That's Cranford, sure enough, girls!
We get off here, and begin our real tramp."
"I wish we were going with you," said Marcia, with a sigh of regret.
"But we can't, of course. Well, I told Dolly we might have a surprise
for her pretty soon, and we will if I've got anything to say about it, too.
This has been awfully jolly! I guess I know a lot more about your
Camp Fire now than I ever expected to. And I've enjoyed hearing every
word, too."
Soon the little steamer was made fast to the dock, and the Camp Fire
Girls streamed off, lining up on the dock. On the steamer the girls from
Camp Halsted--all but Gladys Cooper, who had not made the
trip--lined up, leaning over the rail.
"We'll see them off as the boat goes right back again," said Eleanor.
"And let's give them the Wo-he-lo cheer for good-bye, girls."
So their voices rose on the quiet air as the steamer's whistle shrieked,
and she began to pull out.

"Good-bye! Good luck!" cried Marcia and all the Halsted girls. "And
come back whenever you can! We'll have a mighty different sort of
welcome for you next time!"
"Good-bye! And thank you ever so much for the blankets!" called the
Camp Fire Girls.
CHAPTER III
THE WORK OF THE FIRE
At Cranford began the road which the Camp Fire Girls were to follow
through Indian Notch, the gap between the two big mountains, Mount
Grant and Mount Sherman. Then they were to travel easily toward the
seashore, since the Manasquan Camp Fire, ever since it had been
organized, had spent a certain length of time each summer by the sea.
The Village of Cranford had been saved from the fire only by a shift of
the wind. The woods to the west and the north had been burning briskly
for several days, and every able-bodied man in the village had been out,
day and night, with little food and less rest, trying to turn off the fire. In
spite of all their efforts, however, they would have failed in their task if
the change in the weather had not come to their aid. As a consequence,
everyone in the village, naturally enough, was still talking about the
fire.
"It isn't often that a village in this part of the country has such a narrow
escape," said Eleanor, looking around. "See, girls, you can see for