And sternest of all
critics were the brothers, boy cousins and friends, most of whom
belonged to the Boy Scout brigades, spending most of their spare time
and money in them. For of course the thing that was good for a boy was
for that very reason bad for a girl, an age old argument, beginning with
the question of educating women at all and extending now to their right
to the vote.
Curiously John Everett, Margaret's brother, was at first more bitterly
opposed to the Camp Fire idea than any one else in Woodford. Meg's
place was at home, every girl's was, even though there was no one at
home with her. It was hard lines that his father had to be in Boston
the greater part of the summer and that he would be in camp, but he was
not going to have Meg getting drowned or burned up or worn out without
masculine protection--away from home. Should any one of these
misfortunes overtake her at home--why somehow it would be different.
But fortunately for Meg's summer happiness, her Professor father did not
share in his son's opinions and after John had a long talk with Betty
Ashton he became well, not convinced, but at least more open to
conviction. Usually Betty did have this effect upon him, which was
perhaps fortunate for them both.
So John Everett might certainly be expected as one of the surprise party
and probably Jim Meade, Eleanor's brother Frank Wharton, and Ralph and
Hugh Bowles, who belonged to the same group of friends, besides, well,
it was the entire uncertainty in regard to the actual number of their
visitors which was keeping the Camp Fire girls so extraordinarily busy,
their idea being to have everything prepared and hidden away and then
produced as though they were in the habit of having just such a
magnificent supply of rations always on hand.
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