FOE THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14629, 15 March 1911, Page 10

FOE THE CHILDREN.

THE STORY OF A GIRL SCOUT,

(Copyright.? *«'s' '■"' "I have such news for you. Freda!" cried Carol Stirling, running up to her ; cotttiai' who was bending over a garden-bed, intent on " weeding." "You know how we Ji»v» always envied Martin and Dick becitt- # -; they could be scouts and we couldn't! Well, I've found out that we can!"

"Can what?" asked Freda woadensSf? t.z she rose to her feet and gave her cousin

a kiss of greeting. . , "Why—can bo scouts! Fancy, !frcda, «, can bo real scouts ourselves! Jeßeie Mainland came to see me this afternoon, and th» told me all about it. There is a troop of girl-scout.? here called the Finchley Guide*. Jessie belongs to it, and I am going to join—mother says I can—but I thought I would just run. round and tell you gift, and sec if you would like to belong to it too, if Aunt Mary will let you, then we'can join together." • " Oh, I should love it!" cried - Freda with sparkling eyes. "Come and sit on j this seat, and tell mo all about it I,<j i finished my weeding. Do the girl scouts do just tho same as the boys, and how do the* ' " dress and —"

"One question at a time, please '."interrupted Carol, laughing. "Or, better still I can tell you everything without your asking any questions at all, if you "will listen patiently." " Very well— on !" nodded Freda, " Well, wo are just a little 'different from the boy scouts, of course. For instance, wo are taught drill, signalling (with flag*, you know), and knot-tying, and tracking, and tent-erecting, and so on. But the chief things most girls do best in are the nursing and the camp-cooking, and learning how to give 'first aid.' And instead of a scoutmaster, wo have a scout-mistress, and she has a troop of about 24 girls, who are divided into three patrols. Do you quite l '■'■'■■';■ understand!" " Yes— on, Carol—it sounds lovely." "Then tho girl scout has to uroisife to ' do her duty to God and the King, to help others at any cost to herself, and to know the scout law and obey it.' And she has to try to do an unselfish act every day. Now ; I think I've told you everything that Jessie told me." , "Tho uniform?" Freda reminded her. ■ ' "Oh, yea, of course 1 How silly of me to ■ forget that! It is a navy blue blouse -andj. skirt, and a khaki hat and tie. Now, da you think you'd like to join?" "I'd love it! Come in, and let us "ask- I mother 1" cried Freda, leading the way.** i citedly. . ;■ Mrs. Stirling raised no objections ,»iea tho scheme was explained to her, and Stat ' , same week the two cousins were dulymrolled in the ranks of the "Fincwj Guides," and became two of its most tethusiastio members. m Dick and Martin, Freda's two brother!, were eager to give their sister and cousin p all tho help they could, and the four chil* ; > dron had many "private drills" on Ihcir own account in houso and garden. " _ _ It was astonishing how many opportunities they found of helping others,' and of performing unselfish acts, and Freda, especially, grew so proficient in one' branch of the training—that of rendering "first aid"that, it became quite the custom to send for her when the cottage children cut their hands or bruised their heads, and her friends laughingly called her > "Freda, or the Finchley Guides." * Freda always went cheerfully to the rescue* ■' when thus called upon, and really enjoyed tho work, but, in secret, she longed for a more thrilling adventure than had as yet, fallen to her share. And about a year after she had become a scout, the adventure came. She was on her way to join, some friend* at a nicnic, and her road lay past Oakfield '. . Hall. " The houso itself was shut up, but as * Freda passed the lodge she heard a tapping, on the pane of an upper window, and looking up she saw a face, drawn with ■ pain, ~ ■ gazing down upon her. r-' : >-ffi-M Then a hand beckoned her. n . "It's old Mrs. Simms, the lodge-keeper, V ' mused Freda. " She is evidently in trouble, ,„ and wants me to go in. But how? Both the doors are bound to bo locked, for she* a nervous old body, and lives here alone, and Dick says she always ' locks herself up' when tho family in away." . She nodded cheerfully, however,, in the old woman's direction, put her picmo basket on tho ground, and. made a-careful survey of windows and doors. The only window unfastened was that belonging to the pantry, but Freda, being slight, managed to squeeze herself through it. ' . .... , • ! Then sho ran quickly upstairs, to near that old Mrs. Simms had sprained her ankle earlv that morning, and had been in too : much pain ever since to go &****"*■ **?,? : , had failed to attract anyone's attention tin Freda passed by. - „ ~„ Then "Freda of the Fmchlcy Guides set cheerfully to work. : Bidding the picnic a mental farewell, - she lighted a fire, explaining merrily that scouts must learn to do this, using not more than three matches. A3 soon as sho had got some hot I™*** m bathed and bandaged the swollen attßjj then taking a bottle of milk from *«££"*>£ basket, which she had brought indoors, she boiled some, and soon brougm, the mv*Ja a bowl of bread and milk. Poor old Mrs. Simms, who bad been faint from want or food as well as from pain, became raucfe . more cheerful after this treatment, and tiro pair were even laughing merrily fW™*' when there was a sound of a dogear, stopping before the lodge gates. # M sV] "It's the master come back!" cried MrsSimms, looking through the window. Ana I can't open tho lodge-gates! Oh, deary, ™" Never mind! I'll thorn, and explain!" cried Freda, darting off. , P When Sir Henry Oak-fieldl .heard, of tig accident that had befallen his faithful oW , servant, and of how Freda had come to her, , aid. he was so delighted that he told «* little girl ho must give a. picnic m J*r honour in the Hall grounds, to which •M must invite all the girl »-ils*W her troop, and any other boy or girl scouw that she cared to ask. nra » he " I never heard of girl scouts before, M said, laying a kind hand e«g head, "but upon my word, I «» "? are going to bo as useful an institution M like Miss Freda exclaimed old Mr* Simms, nodding, her head energeticoU£ ~,,; "She had me trim and comfortable in "° time, and I'd defy anyone to light a fare and get a saucepan to boil quicker than she d, » That is all part of our training, *« see*' explained Freda, -blushing over ;so much praise. )t "Any of the girl scouts cool* do the same." , „»:»;„,,« "Well, we will have a few competition! when your picnic comesi off. Miss **;% \ laughed Sir Henry. "Wo will send out, tft» invitations at once." nT?; n /,hl»i Freda's companions of the * 1 "™ ) Guides" were all delighted when they heard what credit she had won. for their troop, ~,, and none of them grudged her the man prizes she won in the competitions, wmc were among the chief features of Sir Henry picnic—Amy Cripps Vernon. , rfSW