"And the mothers and wives and sweethearts who have been entertained so
royally and permitted to say good-bye to their loved ones under the very
best and cheeriest conditions possible--why, they have spoken to me of you
with tears in their eyes!"
There were tears in their own eyes as the girls smiled happily at her.
"But it's been such fun," Mollie protested, "just seeing how much you can
make people forget their troubles."
"That's it," Mrs. Watson broke in quickly. "That's the spirit that has
made your work here such a wonderful success. You've done it--and whether
you will admit it or not, sometimes we've all been so tired at night we've
ached in every joint and muscle when we've crawled into bed--because you
loved to do it and because it was 'fun' to make people forget their
troubles, if only for a little while, and be happy.
"That's the secret, dear girls, and that's why the boys are all eager to
be assigned here. Also, the boys in the permanent garrison will sing your
praises to the few who have not already heard them, and of course we shall
have to live up to their opinion of us."
"Well, if just doing what we have been doing gives us such a reputation,"
said Amy soberly, "I guess it won't be hard to live up to it in the
future."
"Only," said Mrs. Watson warningly, "the work before us is apt to be very
much more trying and arduous than any we have yet had. The camp is going
to be filled to overflowing, and of course that will mean entertaining
continually for us.
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