“I have no desire to read them, but I must see what you intend bringing into camp. From your words, I should say the books are unworthy the name. I have long taken up the crusade against the trash that some magazines publish as it is unhealthy for young people. There are scores of other periodicals just as bad but they haven’t the wealth or influence to advertise and put over their injurious reading that this one you mention has.”
“Why, how queer you are, Miss Miller! Everyone says the authors of those stories make fortunes out of everything written!” Eleanor defended.
“Ah, yes! What will be their report when the Day of Accounts comes and we each have to look at the facts bared by Truth?” sighed the Guide walking away.
Eleanor smiled ironically and looked at Zan. “Isn’t she the funniest thing!”
“No, we all know Miss Miller’s great ambition to provide clean wholesome literature for young people and Dad seconds her enthusiastically in her work. She wrote an article to the New York papers showing how subtle and poisonous was the moral and mental perversion of the sex stories so flagrantly advertised by publishers who only thought of gain and notoriety. But the newspapers are not courageous enough to throw the gauntlet down to these publishers. Some of them wrote back that the concerns mentioned spent large sums advertising in their daily papers. So Miss Miller has to try some other method to open the eyes of the parents and guardians to the danger threatening young people.”
Eleanor stared at Zan and wondered, as half of it was Greek to her understanding. Miss Miller was heard ordering the carpenters to different duties, however, so Zan ran over to join them.
“The Brownies can find birch bark and make the ornaments to decorate the cabin,” said Anna, as the Guide apportioned each group of girls to tasks.
“Moreover, they can remove the large sections of bark from this down-timber for the girls to use on the outside of the cabin after the posts are up,” said Mrs. Remington.
And that is how the name “Boss” began for the Guide.
“I’ll guarantee to have bark, totems, shields, and other ornaments ready for use when the cabin needs them,” added Mrs. Remington, calling the Brownies to go with Anna and her.