Marjorie herself felt near to tears, so realistic was John’s description of the little sufferers. She did not trust herself to say anything.
“And then I thought of your girl scouts, girls who have no definite aim in life, who are not preparing for anything special, and I wondered whether we couldn’t turn at least part of their interest there. Perhaps we have been thinking too much of what we could do for them; maybe if we realized that the greatest thing would be for them to do something for others, we might succeed further.”
“I believe you’re right, John,” Marjorie said, thoughtfully. “But how?”
“Well, I would begin by taking them to see the children. There are about fifteen little girls in that ward; suppose I bought a doll for each child—would your girls dress them? That would give them a chance to see the hospital from the inside, and they might be interested. You may even be able to start a course in home-nursing or first-aid, as a result.”
Marjorie was silent for a long while, pondering the idea. Was it possible, she wondered, to touch these girls, to take them outside of themselves and their own little worlds, to see someone else’s point of view? Was not John correct in thinking she had given too much attention to the good she might do them, rather than the good they might do to others? The idea was so much bigger than any she had ever conceived for them that she was almost terrified at its seriousness.
“It certainly is worth a try, John. It would be great if we could interest them, but I am not going to count on it, or expect a miracle. At least the visit to the hospital with the dolls would be worth-while, if nothing finally came of it.”
“I’d love to—but you better wait till I ask the scouts. There is a chance they may turn me down.”
“Immensely, John—and—thank you so much.” She lowered her voice almost to a whisper. “Other people may fail me in emergencies, but it seems to me you are always there.”
Nor did Marjorie’s words express the real depth to which she was touched. If this scheme worked, she might be able to reach the girls whom she still felt to be outside of her influence. About Stella and Annie she was no longer concerned; they not only took basketball seriously, but athletics had really opened up a new life for them. They had told her that they were going regularly to the Y. W. C. A. for swimming instruction; their nights were so crowded now that there was little time for frivolity. Moreover, both girls were enlarging their circles of friends to include those more interested in the real things in life. It was almost as if they had received a fresh start; she felt satisfied that they would no longer drift.