Lillian Elizabeth Roy

“ In Woodcraft, it is not the grass mat we weave that counts for the coup or honour, it is the general improvement in one’s moral and spiritual life that really counts. And the uplift in mental and characteristic desires brings about the higher basis for the next step.
“You mistake, Eleanor, when you think you are weaving grass mats or willow beds—you are weaving qualities of thought, good or bad, and each pattern produced only shows what thoughts, upbuilding or destructive, you are allowing yourself to weave into the warp and woof of your future life. ”

“ Don’t I know?” sneered Eleanor, loftily.
“Woodcrafters never prepare for the worst! It is our rule to always wait for the best and let the worst take care of itself!” declared Miss Miller, wondering what under the sun she was to do with this undesirable character.
“Oh! you are so preachy! One never takes a turn but you have a lecture ready—generally on this Woodcraft!” cried Eleanor impatiently. “The other girls flatter you by calling it ‘poesy’ and artistic temperament, but I call ‘a spade a spade’!” ”

“ The shout that rose in acceptance of the camp offer was distinctly heard by Mrs. Remington who laughed to herself. Miss Miller turned to accept the invitation when Zan cried:
“Tell her it is a heavenly refuge from the storm!”
The other girls laughed and Jane added: “Sort of ‘any harbour for a wreck!’”
“Oh won’t we have a glorious time practising new steps. Besides, girls, I invented a sea-shell dance that’s perfectly adorable,” cried Nita, glad of the camp with a good dancing floor.
“When can we start?” asked practical Hilda.
“As soon as you like—I am waiting for the word,” replied the Guide. ”

“ Won’t it be the expression of your desire to give pleasure to another? And won’t Zan remember your love and generosity that really constitutes true giving? It is a mistake to look at the material object as the gift, and forget the loving spirit that formed the thought which expressed itself in the thing. The material gift is destructible, but the love of a friend remains forever the true gift.”
“According to Miss Miller, then, we will be silly to waste time on producing material objects when we can easily wish our love on anyone,” retorted Eleanor, in an unpleasant tone. ”

“ Then there is the Bronx and Van Courtlandt Parks should you exhaust the ‘happy hunting grounds’ of Central Park,” replied the Guide, pleased.
“Oh girls, can’t we go right soon?” exclaimed Anne Mason.
“Gracious! There seems more to do than one Winter can ever find time for!” sighed Nita.
“I know that sigh by this time—Nita thinks we won’t bother to dance if we adventure about the wilds of New York!” laughed Zan.
“Everything in its own place, you know. We will have as much time for steps and songs as ever, for the evenings at home can be devoted to indoor fun, you know,” explained the Guide. ”

“ That we are killing the frail child of a weak but higher aspiration. If we train our thoughts to consider the motives and yearnings for a more harmonious life that the girl must have, we will not condemn and criticise her acts. It is the human judgment of things that makes obstacles in the road of one’s advancement, she told me.”
“Dear me, I wish I was as good and wise as Miss Miller,” sighed Jane, gazing skyward. ”

“ As you have left it now, every innocent boy or girl in school may be wrongly thought the thief!”
Miss Miller purposely used the hard term “thief” to try and rouse the girl to a sense of her obligation. It seemed to bite in.
“O-oh—Miss Miller!” gasped Eleanor. “No one can call a practical joke a theft! You are dreadfully strict and unfair.”
“As I said before, there is only one thing left for you, in honour bound, to do. And that is to tell May all about the trick—as you name it—and let her tell the other girls if she likes,” replied Miss Miller. ”

“ Before Fiji and Miss Miller had finished their engrossing conversation, Hilda returned and the girls adjourned to the scenic-screen-room to dress the prize-winner in a befitting costume.
May was posed first in one attitude, then in another, till everyone had satisfied her artistic sense of the picture to be, and perhaps they would all have had another trial had not May sighed, and cried:
“I’ll be so glad when you really click that trigger! This box grows heavier and heavier every minute. I’m sure it weighs a ton by this time.” ”

“ Just because they run the show and boss us all, doesn’t say they have the right to do it. But you are afraid of them, that’s why you give in every time!” sneered Eleanor.
“At least you will admit that we don’t waste our time going about telling tales on others and trying to make trouble for everyone!” scorned Anne Mason, just as the Guide entered.
Her appearance instantly changed Eleanor’s attitude and she approached Miss Miller with an ingratiating smile. The girls saw and most of them sniffed, some even went so far as to murmur aloud: “Cat! I wish she was out of this Tribe!” ”

“ At the luncheon that noon, plans were made for the siding and roofing the cabin. That afternoon, the ridgepole and rafters of the roof were set and the uprights of the walls nailed in securely. When Mrs. Hubert blew the horn for “Quits” the girls looked longingly at the skeleton of their cabin.
“I’d like to tack a few sheets of tar paper on the outside before stopping work,” ventured Elena.
“Not if you are a member of this union. The rest of us will strike if you are permitted to work over-time,” retorted the Guide, to the amusement of Tim who thought the “Boss” a wonder. ”

“ Not that Nita is prosaic by any means, but there have been times when Miss Miller’s muse has been inspired with nothing more to base its flight upon than an ordinary dust-cloth or common potato!” laughed Zan.
The sound of approaching automobiles caused poesy and dancing to end and soon the girls were gayly seated in the cars. Such chattering and laughter as sounded from the passengers as the machines sped swiftly cross-town and reached the ferry where they had to take the boat to reach Staten Island! ”

“ Then the Guide’s attention was given to an investigation of the elaborate bead-loom made and decorated by Zan as her contribution to the contest.
“Does it work, Zan?” queried Miss Miller.
“Not unless it is supplied with motive-power!”
“Then you must have tried it out with a bit of your tremendous energy,” retorted the Guide, smiling at the girl’s bright face.
“Not only tried it but finished a strip of bead banding that takes the cake! I have decided to make enough trimming to decorate a new ceremonial costume that will turn every Woodcraft girl green with envy,” bragged Zan. ”

“ Then there are those new members, and our five old ones—perhaps you and I show the general uplift the others do, too!” said Mrs. Remington, smilingly.
“I may not show it but I feel it,” responded Mrs. Hubert.
“Who can help being ‘born again’ with the simple life in grand old forests near a lake of pure water? Nature is the Wonder Worker in selfish, morbid, erroneous characters, and the marvel grows as each one rises higher and reaches out for God unconsciously until he arrives at a resting-place. ”

“ Nita sat down and Elena stood up. “O Chief! Nita and I wish to propose that we imitate the woods by scenery. We can buy some cheap cotton or canvas stuff and paint trees and rocks and the stream like those at our Summer Camp. We can even go so far as to have birds singing on the boughs and flying in the blue sky.”
Elena waited a moment to see the effect of her announcement and Zan said: “The blue sky seems to be the limit with your offer!” ”

“ This is a story which centers around the making and the enjoying of a mountain camp, spiced with the fun of a lively troop of Girl Scouts. The charm of living in the woods, of learning woodcraft of all sorts, of adventuring into the unknown, combine to make a busy and an exciting summer for the girls. ”

“ I always try to speak the truth—in thought as well as in deed. But in this instance I felt sure you would prefer to have me word my invitation as I did rather than speak bluntly of my purpose. I believe in using the ‘wisdom of the serpent’ when one can be absolutely true to one’s self.”
“Huh! ‘And gentleness of the dove,’ why don’t you add?” sneered Eleanor, unkindly. ”

“ You’ll have to win a coup for sleeping out under the stars,” laughed Zan.
“Don’t worry, friends! Doctor is only teasing. He has to be back in the city at nine to-night to meet a physician and consult over a case,” explained Mrs. Baker.
“Then we’d better make the most of the time left us,” urged the doctor, jumping up ready for anything proposed.
“Shall we dance?” asked Nita.
“Oh, be considerate! Remember I enjoyed the chowder more than was reasonable and I am not in a mood to play Na-na Bo-jou!” warned the doctor. ”

“ Then she told them that they need never have been dead or kept up in that cloud had they known themselves and their power over all evil magic.
“And from that day, the people taught their children first, above every other knowledge, ‘Know Thyself,’ then the next thing the children were taught was, ‘Know that evil has no power or magic for one who Knows Himself!’”
As Miss Miller concluded the story the Woodcrafters cried “How! How!”
“What a strange story—it sounds almost like an allegory with a deep meaning,” said Jane. ”

“ While the Woodcrafters sat eating luncheon, a peculiar whistle sounded from the woods back of them.
“Sounds like a tramp signalling a pal to come and enjoy this lunch,” teased Bob.
“You seem to forget that we girls won a coup for knowing our native birds this Summer. I know what kind of a bird that is, too. Anyone else here recognise it?” said Zan.
“Don’t tell! Don’t—please. Let us new members try to place the sound and sight and begin on our bird coups,” interrupted Anne Mason. ”

“ The chauffeurs helped carry the outfits to the clearing on top of the cliff, and when all was done, Alfred said: “I ought to be goin’, Miss ’Lizabeth, ’cause your father comes in on that six o’clock train, you know, and it takes a full hour to get there from here!”
“Oh, it can’t be five o’clock yet, Alfred,” cried Elizabeth, surprised.
“It is five of five,” replied Miss Miller, consulting her watch.
“Good gracious! Where are those boys?” cried Zan.
“We surely must be at the wrong site, but we will remain where we are for to-night, anyway,” added Jane. ”

“ The one that falls short will have to make a graceful exit, I s’pose,” replied Jane.
“It ought to be Eleanor Wilbur, then. She’s going around telling everybody what a farce the whole business is. She acts as if she had a bone to pick with you girls. Did anything happen at the Council to antagonise her?” said Martha.
“Why—no! I thought she was enjoying herself immensely. I’ll go and ask her if she intends to drop out,” said Zan. ”

“ Marsh says she will have to stain the entire floor now to make it look decent again,” added Nita.
“Well girls, we are all genuine Woodcrafters, so we hail with thanksgiving this scenery that fills our lungs with the pungent odour of the forest. I, for one, will breathe deeply of this pine product!” laughed Miss Miller, turning the criticism to fun.
“Well, all I can say is that I feel grateful for these great stout logs that will protect us from Winter’s icy winds and the hungry horde of howling wolves—the menace of pioneers in the forest!” added Zan. ”

“ Anne and I will be all alone this evening as the others are going out,” added Frances Mason.
“That’s fine! Who can meet at the Masons’ at eight to-night?” called Zan, looking about at the Woodcrafters.
“We surely will—every one of us,” accepted Hilda.
“Well, don’t waste our time making us wait for you. If someone can’t come let her telephone before meeting-time,” advised Anne Mason.
“Hoh! Anne doesn’t know us yet! Catch a Woodcrafter being late when there’s any fun going!” laughed Jane.
Every member was there before eight that night, Eleanor having been notified over the telephone. ”

“ At such criminal thoughts as these stories implant in the minds of adolescent girls and boys? Why, the woman who made such a fortune out of gullible young things ought to be condemned to purgatory—only we know there isn’t such a place!” fumed the Guide, righteously indignant.
“I’ve read most of her books and I never saw anything bad. They were grand—and full of wonderful romance!” defended Eleanor. ”