Part 15 (1/2)

”'Kin we take our clothes off?'

”As the weather was warm I said, 'Yes, every st.i.tch, if you like.' And soon they were a mob of naked, howling savages, tearing through the woods, jumping into the lake, or pelting each other with mud.”

After supper, Mr. Thompson Seton tells us, the boys gathered around the camp fire while he told them one Indian story after another. For two days the boys ate, swam, canoed, and, what was most important of all, they became acquainted with the two men. There was no harm done the boats, teepees, or outfit other than fair wear and tear during that camping, and before it was over Mr. Moale, instead of having a gang of bandits to combat the year round, had now a guard of staunch friends, ready to fight his battles and look out for his interests when he was away.

That was the beginning of it. Every boy in the village is now a member of the tribe, and three other bands have been formed in the neighborhood. All this was in 1900. Since then thousands of workers have become interested and the work has spread, until today the Boy Scouts of America is one of the best known organizations of the country.

One reason for the growth of the Boy Scout movement is the fact that scouting usually makes boys cleaner and more manly than they were before. Should you like to know the Scout Laws that they learn and practice? The first law is this: ”_A scout is trustworthy._” This means a scout's honor is to be trusted. Boy Scouts everywhere make a great deal of the word _honor_. The following story shows the scout's idea of honor: ”A little newsboy boarded a crowded car the other night with a very large bundle of papers, and the conductor, with coa.r.s.e good-nature, tried to favor him by not taking his fare, although of course he could not do this without cheating the railway. The boy looked at him with indignation, and could not believe that he was the conductor. He went all through the car hunting for the real conductor to whom he might pay his fare.”

”_A scout is loyal_,” is the second law. _Loyalty_ is another word that is dear to the scout. Have you ever heard a scout say bad things about his scout master or about his fellow scouts behind their backs?

Not very often, I am sure. If a scout has anything to say against any one, he goes directly to him and talks it over. The Scout Law explains loyalty saying: ”He is loyal to all to whom loyalty is due, his scout leader, his home and parents and country.” He must stick to them through thick and thin against any one who is their enemy, or whoever talks badly of them.

Have you ever seen the scouts salute the flag? The smiling faces and beaming eyes show that they love the flag dearly. Few can sing better than the scouts, for they mean every word they sing.

The instant our nation entered the great world war the Boy Scouts offered themselves to their country to do whatever the president asked. Since most of them were too young to enlist, it was at first thought that they could not do much. As the months pa.s.sed, however, the boys have found one task after another, until now they are so busy that they put to shame many older people.

Then, too, the Boy Scouts have worked so silently, without making a fuss about what they were doing. In many of our large cities they have planted ”war gardens” on every vacant lot they could get. In most cases all they raised in these gardens was given to the Red Cross.

Furthermore, they have been the best friends the farmers have had.

These scouts in large numbers have left their comfortable city homes to work on farms. They have not asked for the easy, pleasant jobs, but have been willing to do the thing that needed to be done most whether it was pleasant or not. Have you ever wondered who put up the thousands of posters asking the people to save food and buy bonds? In many cases this work has been done by the scouts.

The Boy Scout has been able to do so much because he is taught to be brave. The coward has no place among the scouts. The lad who is not willing to rough it soon drops out. Long hikes, coa.r.s.e food, and hard work try the _stuff_ that's in a boy. If he can stand up to all these he is sure to develop the endurance that makes him brave.

As soon as the war began, the educated young men of our country went to the officers' training camps to learn to become officers. After thousands of these young men who had tried to become officers had failed, the people began to wonder what the trouble was. Finally they asked the great army officers who had examined them, and received this answer: ”Your young men are slouchy; slouchy in the way they hold their shoulders, slouchy in the way they walk, slouchy in their use of the English language, slouchy in the way they think.” Should you like to know how the young men who had once been scouts fared? Almost without exception they pa.s.sed, for the training they had received as scouts had cured them of much of their slouchiness.

A scout is not only brave but he is also courteous and helpful to others. Nothing delights a scout more than to be able to help a child or an old man or woman across a busy street. For these little services he must not receive tips. Major Powell, the great English Scout organizer, tells of a little fellow who came to his house on an errand. When offered a tip the lad put up his hand to the salute and said, ”No, thank you, sir, I am a Boy Scout.”

About the hardest thing a scout is expected to do is to smile and whistle under all circ.u.mstances. ”The punishment for swearing or using bad language is, for each offense, a mug of cold cold water poured down the offender's sleeves by the other scouts.”

Much more could be written in favor of the Boy Scouts. They are a body of boys of whom we are proud. And we shall ever be grateful to Ernest Thompson Seton for his n.o.ble work in organizing the Boy Scouts in America.

”_Be Prepared_”

JOHN WANAMAKER

It was a stormy, rainy day in New York City. We wanted to visit some of the great stores and shops, but were afraid of the bad weather.

Our friends who lived in the city laughed at us. They said: ”This is just the kind of a day to go to Wanamakers. We will take the subway to the bas.e.m.e.nt door and never be in the wet at all.”

So we hurried to the underground railroad that runs beneath the busy streets, and were soon riding away in a fast express train. On we went in the darkness, through winding tunnels to the other end of the city.

At last we stopped at a brilliantly lighted platform and were told that this was our destination. Leaving the train we did not ascend to the street, but went through great doors into a large room that was as light as day. Elevators took us up, up, from floor to floor. And what did we see, I hear you ask. We saw everything one could wish to buy.

We saw everything we had ever dreamed of purchasing. We saw many beautiful things of which we had never heard, and we felt as if we were visiting a magic palace.

At noon we ate our lunch in a pleasant restaurant up at the very top of the enormous building. It was quiet and peaceful, and we were glad to rest. When we were through, we found an attractive little concert hall where many persons were listening to a deep-toned organ.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOHN WANAMAKER (On left) Great Merchant and Philanthropist]

We were told we were welcome to sit down and hear the sweet music. An hour pa.s.sed before we were ready to leave. Then we continued our sightseeing, and it was late in the afternoon before we were ready to go home. We returned the same way we had come and when we were once more far up town in our own familiar street the rain had just stopped.