Stories of the Saints by Candle-Light.
by Vera C. Barclay.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Once upon a time there were fifteen Cubs who spent nine wonderful days in camp. They were London Cubs, and the camp was on a beautiful little green island whose rocky sh.o.r.e ran down in green, tree-covered points into the bluest sea you ever saw. These nine days were the most splendid days in those Cubs" lives. And so they often think of them, and dream about them, and live them over again in memory.
So that they may more easily go over those days their Old Wolf has written down all about them in this book. Perhaps other Cubs will like to come away, in imagination, to that fair, green island, and so have a share in the nine days.
Now, one of the very "special things" about those days in camp were the candle-light stories which the Cubs listened to every night, seated in a big, happy pile, pyjama-clad, on their pallia.s.ses. All day they used to look forward to those stories, and sometimes, in the middle of a shrimping expedition, or a paddling party, one or another would remark, "Story to-night, boys!" and turn his thumbs up to show he was pleased at the thought. And so you will find the candle-light stories, too, in this book; and remember that all the stories in this book are _true_--both those about the Cubs and those about the Saints.
THE FIRST DAY
The train steamed slowly out of Victoria Station. "Now we"re off!"
shouted a Cub, and he and all the others began to jump for joy, which was not easy in a railway compartment packed like a sardine-tin. Then someone began to sing the Pack chorus, and everyone joined in with all their strength:
Let the great big world keep turning, Now I"ve joined a Wolf Cub Pack; And I only know That I want to go To camp--to _camp_--to CAMP!
Oh, I long to set off marching With my kit-bag on my back.
Let the great big world keep on turning round, Now I"ve joined a Wolf Cub Pack!
Then someone yelled "Are we down-hearted?" and the Cubs yelled "No!" so loudly that Akela thought she would be deafened for life.
Presently the train ran out into the country, and plodded along between woods and fields. And the early morning sun shone brightly, and the sky was very blue. The country, the country! And, very soon, the sea! There were some of them who had never been to the country, and "Spongey," the youngest of the party, had never even been in a real train.
"Talk about _hot_!" said someone, panting, when the train had thundered on for about an hour. And, my word, it _was_ hot! Besides, there were blacks and dust, and everyone began to get very grimy--specially the people who were eating bread-and-jam and sticky fruit, and the people who had to crawl under the seat to pick up things that had got lost.
"Never mind," said Akela, "we shall be in the sea this evening, and then we shall be cool."
That started everyone jumping for joy again, of course.
Presently the train pa.s.sed Arundel Castle--its white towers and turrets and battlements rising up amidst the dark green woods like an enchanted castle in the days of knights and fairies--and the Cubs learnt that there are castles in real life as well as in story-books.
After that they began looking out of the window to see who would be the first one to catch sight of the sea. "Bunny" was the first to, and his friend Bert, the Senior Sixer, came a close second.
At last the train got to Portsmouth Harbour, and, shouldering their kit-bags, the Cubs ran down on to the steamer.
The harbour was thrilling: battleships, cruisers, torpedo-boats, the Royal yacht, the Admiralty yacht, and, most interesting of all, Nelson"s ship, the _Victory_. As if the steamer knew that a crowd of eager Cubs were longing to see all round the _Victory_, it went out of its way to steam right round it, slowly and quite near, and the Cubs had a splendid view.
The boys all wanted to be the first to _touch_ the sea, but Bunny, who had _seen_ it first, forestalled them again, by letting down a ball of string over the edge of the boat and pulling it up all wet.
At last the ship reached the Isle of Wight, and the Cubs and their great mountain of camp luggage went down the long pier. I forgot to tell you that besides Akela there was the Senior Sixer"s father and mother, who were coming to help look after the camp--they became the "Father and Mother of Camp"; and there was also a lady who was a very kind camp G.o.dmother. The grown-ups and the luggage were soon packed into a large motor-car, and then, relieved of their kit-bags, the Cubs set out to walk the two miles along the sea-front to the village called Sea View.
The way lay along a thing called a "sea-wall"--a high stone wall about six feet broad running along above the sh.o.r.e, with the sea lapping up against it at high tide. Along this the Cubs walked (or rather ran and jumped), their eyes big with wonder at the great stretch of blue, blue sea, with here and there a distant sailing-boat, and, above, the sky even bluer than the sea. "I didn"t know the sky _could_ be so blue!"
said a Cub; and that was just how they all felt.
It was very hot walking in the midday sun. There was no hurry--nine days to do just as they liked in--so halfway along the sea-wall the Cubs and Akela scrambled down some steep stone steps on to a tiny stretch of sand not yet covered by the incoming tide. Boots and stockings were soon off, sleeves and shorts tucked up, and everybody paddling deep in the cool green water.
When they had all got thoroughly cool they went on their way, and at last arrived at the Stable.
This was where they were to sleep. It consisted of a courtyard, a couple of stalls, a coach-house, a shed, and two tiny rooms. Akela occupied one of these, and the Cubs were divided into two groups. The Stable was in charge of Bert, the Senior Sixer, and in his stall he had Bunny (a Second), d.i.c.k (a big Cub very nearly ready to go up to the Scouts), and Patsy, a small but lively Irishman. Sam, another Sixer, had in his stall four young terrors--Terry, Wooler, Jack, and "Spongey" Ward. Then there was the coach-house. This was in charge of Bill, the last Senior Sixer, now a Cub Instructor. The other occupants were Jim, a Sixer (Bill"s young brother), "Mac," a Second, two brothers, "Big Andy" and "Little Andy," and a rather new Cub called Bob.
It took a good while to stuff the pallia.s.ses with straw and unpack. But when this was finished everyone had a good wash and changed into cool old clothes--shorts and cotton shirts. Tea followed, in a jolly old garden behind the bake-house. There was a seesaw in it, and the gra.s.s was long and soft, and the shade of the apple-trees very cool. Then the party ran up the hill to the camp field. Here there was a lot to do: the bell tent to be pitched, the fireplace made, wood to be chopped, water fetched, all the pots and pans unpacked, a swing and a couple of hammocks to be put up, the two great sacks of loaves to be fetched, and, oh! a hundred other things. But all the Cubs set to and did their best, and at last all was ready.
"Now for the sh.o.r.e!" said Akela, and everyone cheered and ran for their towels and bathing-drawers. It was only a few minutes" walk down to the most lovely sh.o.r.e you can imagine--stretches and stretches of golden sand and little, lapping waves. On one side you could see rocky points running down into the greeny-blue sea, with trees growing right down to the sh.o.r.e. An old, brown-sailed coal barge moved slowly past on the gentle wind, the many browns of its patched sails forming a rich splash of colour in the evening sun. The Cubs soon turned into "water babies."
Boots and stockings had been left behind at the Stable, and now they got rid of clothes as well. How cool the sea was! That first bathe seemed to wash away all the heat and smoke and grubbiness of dear old London.
After the bathe came a splendid paddle among brown, sea-weedy rocks, and the Cubs caught their first baby crabs and found their first sh.e.l.ls, and got just as wet as they liked.
But the sun was sinking down behind the grey line of sea, and the clock there is inside every Cub was telling supper-time. So, with hands full of sea-weed and sh.e.l.ls, they made their way back to camp.
The camp-fire was burning merrily. "G.o.dmother," in a large blue overall, was stirring a steaming dixie of cocoa, and "Mother and Father" were cutting up bread and cheese.
After supper there was time for a little play in the field. Then, as it began to get dusk, a whistle-blast called the Cubs in for night prayers.
It was still quite light enough to read, so each Cub had a little homemade book of Morning and Night Camp Prayers. Kneeling in a quiet corner of the field, with just the evening sky overhead, with a pale star or two beginning to appear, it was easy to feel G.o.d near and to pray. The camp prayers started with "A prayer that we may pray well." It was a very old prayer, really, but it seemed just to fit the Cubs, and help them to _do their best_ in their prayers as in all other things.
The prayer was this: "Open Thou, O Lord, my mouth to bless Thy Holy Name; cleanse also my heart from wandering thoughts, so that I may worthily, devoutly, and attentively recite these prayers, and deserve to be heard in the sight of Thy Divine Majesty. Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen." Then followed the "Our Father" and some short prayers. And after that the Cubs said altogether: "I confess to Almighty G.o.d that I have sinned against Him in thought, word, and deed." Then Akela read out very slowly the following questions, and each Cub answered them in his heart--not out loud, but silently, for G.o.d only to hear:
"Have I done my best to pray well when saying my private prayers and at camp prayers?
"Have I really meant to please G.o.d to-day?
"Have I done my best in my orderly duties, and in other things I have had to do?
"Have I given in to other people quickly and cheerfully when given an order?
"Have I spoken as I should not?
"Have I been disobedient?
"Have I been unkind to another boy--selfish? quarrelsome? unfair?
"Have I told a lie?
"Have I done anything else I am sorry for?"
Then, after a pause, Akela said:
"Tell G.o.d you are truly sorry, on your honour as a Cub, that you have grieved Him by the sins of to-day."
Then there was perfect silence for a moment, and after that, the Cubs said, all together:
"May Almighty G.o.d have mercy upon us, and forgive us our sins, and bring us to life everlasting."
Then they said a short psalm, and the following beautiful little hymn: