Frances then explained to Belle what Mrs. James had just said about selecting lines of work, and Belle nodded and added: “I have found a number of things I can add to my work of finding antiques, just as Frances can add those studies she mentioned to her motoring work.
“I come in contact with housewives who can cook and preserve the most delicious things! Frances has tasted many of them herself. I have been given recipes of viands that I’d love to try out, not only for the sake of winning a badge in cooking, but to be able to give others the benefit of the tests.
“Then I would like to try for a badge as needle-woman, after seeing girls no older than myself, making dresses and trimming hats for themselves and their mothers. I believe I can use a paper pattern and cut a gown out as carefully as those girls do. And I am sure I can stick a feather in my hat, or tie a ribbon about the crown, with as much deftness as those girls. But I never stopped to think of these things in the city where one can go to the shop and try on a ready-made suit, or buy a hat all made to wear, at once.”
“Ah, these are a few of the things city girls never can find in the city—the ways and means the country girls have of making two ends meet,” remarked Mrs. James.
“Another line I should like to study since hearing you mention that thing about foolish mothers giving their babies a rubber ‘mother’s comfort’ to suck upon to keep them quiet. I’d like to read up on that subject of child training, and learn all I can about the proper care and training of babies, then write a book to help ignorant and lazy or careless young mothers with their families. Think of all the trouble and suffering that can be avoided if mothers will use common sense and better judgment in rearing their children!”
“Bravo! Belle, I’m proud of you for that ambition,” exclaimed Mrs. James, and Frances smilingly added her applause. “If you will continue that line of study and work I’m sure that you will not only secure the badge for child nursing but also win success with a book if it is sensibly and carefully compiled.”
“I’m glad you agree with us in our wishes to add more studies to our present one,” said Frances.
“I’d like every scout in our troop to keep on adding to their knowledge just as long as they live. And even after they fancy their days of usefulness are past, I should want them to think—and then keep on working and adding to their understanding, for we have all eternity before us, and nothing ought to stop our progress and growth once we remove the limitation to Life.”
That earnest talk with Mrs. James inspired Frances and Belle with the desires to add to their storehouses of knowledge and intelligence whatsoever they could find worth while, but the experiences and successes of the two scouts in their individual works must be told in separate volumes of this series, as this book deals with Janet and her stock venture.
The scout members of Patrol Number One had been invited by the girls of Patrol Number Two, to a knot-tying contest to be held on the side lawn of the farm house. A post script added the most important item of the invitation, as is usually the case: “Refreshments served after the contest.”