A Popular Schoolgirl - Angela Brazil (best novels to read in english txt) 📗

read them quietly over at home. Then any girl who likes to join can put her name down. All the Sixth want to become members, and I hope lots of others will too. That’s all I have to say. I’m afraid I’m rather a bungler, but you’ll understand everything if you read the papers. I’m going to give them out now.”

Lispeth, very red in the face, came down from the platform, and, aided by her fellow-prefects, began to distribute papers right and left to the girls as they filed from the benches. Amongst the others, Ingred took hers, and put it in her pocket. She did not care to discuss it with the crowd, so retired to a corner of the hostel garden, and, amid a shower of falling autumn leaves, opened the typewritten sheet, and read as follows:

The Rainbow League

A Society for Schoolgirls who wish to help in the great work of reconstruction after the War

What the League holds

That every soul is of infinite and equal value, because all are the children of one Father.

That every girl must do her best to help all other girls, and to advance the Sisterhood of Women.

That woman’s greatest and strongest weapons are love and sweetness.

That by conscious radiation of unselfish love to her fellow-beings, a girl may undoubtedly raise the moral atmosphere of the world around her.

That every girl, however young, can help this glorious old country, and that, joined together for good, the schoolgirls of a nation can influence the well-being of a race.

That good can always triumph over evil, and that love and unselfishness will wipe out many social blots, and put beauty in their place.

As the rainbow has seven prismatic colors, these may stand for seven talents of woman.

Violet = Virtue⁠—the bedrock of woman’s influence. Indigo = Industry⁠—which means willing service. Blue = Beauty⁠—in its many and varied forms. Green = Generosity⁠—to give of our best to others. Yellow = Youth⁠—to offer our best years to God. Orange = Order⁠—which includes organization. Red = Radiation⁠—the Love Force going out to others.

Fellowship

Every member of the League shall pledge herself to forward its objects and to take an active part in any schemes of help that may be instituted in connection with it.

Flower Emblem. The Iris. Motto. “Freely ye have received, freely give.”

Ingred sat for a moment or two, watching the petals blow from the last roses on the bush that hung over the worn stone wall. The old Abbey lay on one hand, the buildings of the new school on the other. They seemed the very personification of ancient and modern.

“The world can’t stand still,” she thought, “and if it’s got to move on, I suppose I’d better help to give it a shove in the right direction.”

Walking into the hostel, she met Nora and Fil walking arm-in-arm.

“Hullo, Ingred! Have you read the paper about the Rainbow League?” asked Fil eagerly. “I think it’s ripping! Nora and I are both going to join.”

“And so am I,” said Ingred, as she passed by them, and went upstairs.

VII Hockey

Ingred signed her name next morning as a member of the Rainbow League, and received a neat notebook with a Japanese design of purple irises stencilled on the cover. Though the new society was supposed to be run entirely by the girls themselves, it was much encouraged at headquarters, and special allowances were made for its activities. Miss Burd sent for a book on Toy-Making at Home, and gave the Handicraft classes an indulgence to concentrate for the present on the construction of little windmills, carts, dolls’ furniture, trains, jigsaw puzzles, and other articles described in its fascinating pages. Such a number of girls had joined the League that many willing hands were at work, and at Christmas they hoped to have a sale of the best of the toys in aid of a fund for War Orphans, and to send the remainder to be given away as treats for poor children.

Lispeth was highly enthusiastic, and full of future schemes.

“We’ll do toy-making this term,” she decreed, “and then next term we can think of something else. In the spring and summer we’ll have a Posy Union to send bunches of flowers to sick people. We can’t do anything of that, of course, during the winter, unless some of you like to put down bulbs; it would be lovely to give a pot of purple crocuses to a little crippled child! I think making the toys is just A1. I want to start a manufactory!”

“Barring the glue,” said Susie Wakefield. “It smells simply abominable when it boils over. Why doesn’t somebody bring out a patent for sweet-scented glue?”

“Sweet-scented glue! You Sybarite!”

“Why not? They could make it out of all those delicious gums and resins you read about in books on the Spice Islands, instead of⁠—by the by, what is glue made of?”

“Horses’ hoofs, I believe, but I fancy it’s better not to ask what it’s made of. I don’t think your gums and resins would do the deed so well. We’d best stick to good old-fashioned glue.”

“That’s just what I complained of⁠—I do stick to it, or rather it sticks to me. I get it all over my hands, and smears down my overall.”

“Then you’re an untidy workwoman, old sport, and I can’t do anything for you except recommend ‘Gresolvent.’ ”

The girls were grateful for the latitude of the Handicraft class, for otherwise they would have had little or no time to give to the construction of toys. The homework of the College was stiff, and certain games were compulsory. The hockey season had begun, and fixtures had been made with other schools in the neighborhood.

“We must see that the old Coll. keeps up its reputation,” said Blossom Webster, the games captain. “Last year, when we had Lennie Peters and Sophy Aston, we did a thing or two, didn’t we? ‘What girl has done, girl can do!’ and we’ve just got to buck up and try.”

“Rather!” agreed the team.

Among the various matches which had been arranged was one with The Clinton High School Old Girls’