Chapter II: Foreword

A few summers ago I had the pleasure of being entertained by several Bands of The Girl Pioneers of America, on the wooded shores of one of Long Island's noted bays, at Camp Laff-a-Lot. As I watched these wholesome-looking, happy girls in their attractive uniforms, and saw their bright, animated faces as they made merry in joyous sport under God's blue, and then turned to the more serious employment of making bayberry candles, building camp fires, gathering wildflowers in their study of Nature, or blazing the trail as they made the woodland resound to their wonderful imitation of bird-notes, in the various calls of their groups, my interest was awakened. Later, as I gathered with them in the red glow of their Cheer Fire and heard their rousing Pioneer cheer, and their inspiring Band songs, and saw how a love for history and the true meaning of patriotism was engendered, while their minds and imaginations were being stimulated by their stories of the heroism of the women Pioneers, I realized that as our patriotic organizations were seeking to honor the Founders of our Nation by preserving historical records and objects, these Pioneer daughters were seeking to revive and perpetuate the spirit that dominated the men and women who brought to these shores, the grand principles of a civilization that has made our Republic the greatest in the world! It was in recognition of the nobleness of the aims of The Girl Pioneers of America, as well as in appreciation of the worthy Founder's efforts to bring out the best in them, that inspired me to set forth if only in a limited way these many truths, and so I was emboldened to write "Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer!"

Rena I. Halsey.
_Brooklyn,_
_January 1, 1917._

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I The Nest in the Old Cedar 11
II Her Next-door Neighbor 27
III Girl Pioneers 40
IV Nathalie Is Asked to Become a Blue Robin 55
V The Gray Stone House 72
VI Working into Harness 90
VII The Mayflower Feast 108
VIII The Motto, "I Can" 126
IX Searching for Rosy 143
X Nathalie as the Story Lady 159
XI The Princess in the Tower 179
XII The Wild-flower Hike 194
XIII Around the Cheer Fire 213
XIV Overcomes 230
XV A Chapter of Surprises 250
XVI Pioneer Stunts 270
XVII Liberty Banners 289
XVIII The Princess Makes Two More Friends 308
XIX The Fagot Party 330
XX The Dutch _Kraeg_ 348
XXI An Invitation 366
XXII Camp Laff-a-Lot 385
XXIII Miss Camphelia 403
XXIV The Wireless Operator 421
XXV Good-by to Eagle Lake 438

ILLUSTRATIONS

"What can I do for you? Are you in pain?" _Frontispiece_
"Polly Green, her reel," announced Helen 122
"Why, how did you get there?" 172
"Oh, don't be frightened!" exclaimed the princess,
with a merry laugh 194
The rope had broken in her grasp 228
Up went two hands in pretended subjugation 290
With an unearthly shriek was flying across the lawn 338
She dropped the ashes of Miss Dummy into the placid water 436

BLUE ROBIN, THE GIRL PIONEER