The Camp Fire Girls on the Field of HonorVandercook, Margaret
General
The Camp Fire Girls on the Field of Honor
Vandercook, Margaret
Camp Fire Girls -- Juvenile fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
However, in the last few weeks Yvonne ordinarily did not permit herself
to become depressed. This much she felt she owed to Mrs. Burton's
kindness and to the comradeship which had been so generously given to
her by the Camp Fire girls. Yvonne felt a particular affection for each
one of them. She could not of course feel equally attracted. So far she
cared most for Peggy Webster and for Mary Gilchrist, possibly attracted
toward Mary because she also was an outsider like herself. Then Mary's
boyish attitude toward life, her utter freedom even from the knowledge
of the conventions in which Yvonne had been so carefully reared, at
first startled, then amused the young French girl. But for Peggy
Webster, Yvonne had a peculiar feeling of love and admiration. This may
have been partly due to the fact that Peggy was Mrs. Burton's niece and
so shared in the glamor of the great lady's personality, but it was more
a tribute to Peggy's own character.
After Yvonne's pathetic account of her history, Mrs. Burton had told at
least a measure of her story to Peggy. She had asked Peggy to invoke the
compassion and aid of the other girls and to do what she could for
Yvonne herself.
To Peggy's strength, to the freedom and the courage of her outlook upon
life, Yvonne's tragic story had appealed strongly, but more Yvonne's
timidity. Often the young French girl appeared unwilling to go on with
the daily struggle of life when everything for which she had ever cared
had been taken from her.
Among the American Camp Fire girls there was only one girl for whom
Yvonne felt a sensation of distrust which almost amounted to a dislike,
and this was Sally Ashton. Nevertheless, in the early days of their
acquaintance, Yvonne had not this point of view. Then she had admired
Sally's prettiness, the gold brown of her hair and eyes, her white skin
and even her indolent manners and graces. Yet recently Yvonne had become
aware of a circumstance, or rather of a series of circumstances, which
had first surprised, then puzzled and finally repelled her.
In a few moments Yvonne left the farm house. If she were late at their
first outdoor camp fire she realized she would have no difficulty in
discovering the site they had selected, although it was at some distance
away.
Some time had passed since the arrival of the Camp Fire party in this
neighborhood of France and now even in the winter fields there was a
suggestion of approaching spring.
As Yvonne walked on she felt an unselfish joy, a greater lightness of
heart. Surely the spring would bring back some of her lost happiness to
France. There would be another great drive, another tragic contest of
strength, but the British and French lines would hold.
Yvonne had the great faith and courage of her people, now she had
learned to lay aside her personal sorrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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