“Well, I’m very glad that so many people have been led to know the truth about us,” said Eleanor, with a smile. “If everyone knew the truth about the Camp Fire, it would soon be as big and as influential as even the most enthusiastic of us hope it will be. And I’m sure that we’ll grow very fast now, because when girls understand us they see that we simply help them to have the sort of good times they enjoy most. Having a good time is a pretty important thing in this life.”
“I—I rather thought you would think that we spent too much time just having a good time,” said Marcia, plainly rather surprised by this statement.
“I don’t say anything about you girls in particular, because I don’t know enough about you,” replied Eleanor. “Of course, it’s easy to get to 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.