The Torch Bearer: A Camp Fire Girls' Story

In Short

Set in early twentieth-century Washington, D.C., and a nearby summer camp, this novel follows a group of Camp Fire Girls as they practice self-reliance, domestic useful skills, and civic responsibility. Guided by their leader, Laura Haven, the girls bring a timid, neglected stepdaughter named Elizabeth into their circle, help a homeless girl secure a home, and support an impoverished young mother. Throughout camp outings, city projects, and personal hardships, the girls learn to turn their ideals into direct service, showing how collective warmth can steady fragile lives.

The Story

The story opens at a summer camp, where Laura Haven, a warm and independent young woman, takes on the role of Guardian to a troupe of Camp Fire Girls. Under the motherly guidance of Mrs. Royall, the Chief Guardian, the girls practice outdoor skills, tell stories around the evening fire, and run free in the woods. When Myra Karr wanders off toward Kent's Corners alone, the camp mobilizes immediately with bugles and buggies, highlighting the close-knit protection the leaders extend to every camper. Among the girls is Elizabeth Page, a thin, timid teenager dubbed "the Poor Thing" by the others. Elizabeth is overwhelmed by the camp's active pace and convinced she lacks the strength or skill to earn a single merit bead.

Olga Priest, a fierce, quick-tempered girl who has known hardship herself, takes Elizabeth under her wing. Olga pushes Elizabeth to walk every day, coaxes her into games, and patiently stays beside her in the lake until Elizabeth overcomes her terror of the water, learning to float and swim. Through this stubborn care, Elizabeth's health and confidence begin to bloom.

When the girls return to the city, they discover that Elizabeth's home life is miserable. Her stepmother treats her as an unpaid servant, keeping her locked away from friends and denying her basic freedom. Olga tries to intervene, furious at the injustice, while Laura uses gentle diplomacy to support Elizabeth within legal bounds. Meanwhile, the girls turn their energies to community work. They visit a children's hospital, adopt a brave nine-year-old lame orphan named Jim, and help him connect with local Boy Scouts for companionship.

Hardship strikes the group when Olga falls severely ill with a fever brought on by overwork and neglect of her own health. Elizabeth loyally stays by her side to nurse her, missing summer outings to return the care Olga once gave her. Upon her recovery, Laura takes Olga to rest on her father's yacht, where Olga realizes that taking care of one's own body is essential if one hopes to help others.

Back in the city, Olga's newly established independence is tested when her estranged sister Sonia arrives unexpectedly, abandoning a sickly, pallid baby in Olga's small apartment. Burdened by Sonia's selfishness and forced to miss Camp Fire meetings to care for the child, Olga grows discouraged. Laura counsels her that the truest spirit of the organization lies in quiet home service. Reinvigorated, the girls work together to furnish a clean room for Lizette, another working girl at the end of her rope, and establish a network of mutual aid. By Christmas, the girls, their families, and the community gather around a brightly lit tree, celebrating a shared life built on practical service and steady friendship.

How It Unfolds

Moonlight at the camp Laura Haven joins Mrs. Royall at the summer camp as a Guardian, watching the girls perform secret Indian folk dances under the moon and learning to care for campers from all walks of life.

Rescuing the timid Olga Priest takes charge of Elizabeth Page, an exhausted, anxious girl who believes she cannot earn any honours, forcing her to rest, walk, and gradually confront her fear of swimming.

Confronting the stepmother After returning to Washington, Olga discovers Elizabeth living as a virtual slave to her stepmother and tries fiercely to free her friend from household tyranny.

Adopting a hospital patient The girls visit a children's ward to select a child to support, forming an immediate bond with Jim, a lonely nine-year-old boy who longs for out-of-door fun and boyish companionship.

Panic in the dark During an evening gathering, a sudden smoke blast sparks a fire scare in a crowded hall, but an elderly woman named Nancy Rextrew calms the crowd, allowing the girls to help the helpless to safety.

Illness and recovery Olga collapses from exhaustion and fever, receiving devoted care from Elizabeth before spending peaceful recovery days on Judge Haven's yacht, where she reflects on the responsibility of maintaining her health.

Service at home When Olga's irresponsible sister Sonia abandons a sickly baby in her apartment, Laura helps Olga see that caring for her family in secret is the highest form of Camp Fire service.

The People

• Laura Haven: The generous, insightful Guardian who guides the group. She wants to use her resources to support lonely girls and orphans, standing as a steady source of advice when her charges face domestic crisis or self-doubt.
• Olga Priest: A passionate, fiercely protective girl with a dark temper born of past poverty. She wants to defend her friends from injustice and make her own way in the world, though her impulsiveness often leads her to burn out until she learns the value of self-care.
• Elizabeth Page: A delicate, motherless seventeen-year-old who begins as a nervous shadow. She wants to be accepted and useful, eventually finding the strength to conquer her phobia of water and care for Olga when illness strikes.
• Jim: A brave nine-year-old lame orphan recovering in the hospital. He craves out-of-door adventure and male fellowship, bringing out the protective instincts of both the girls and the local Boy Scouts.
• Louise Johnson: A cheerful, easygoing camper who loves mint gum and joking around. She often scoffs at precautions, providing lighthearted contrast to the group's serious undertakings.
• Sonia: Olga's selfish elder sister who abandoned her family years ago. She reappears unexpectedly to dump her unhealthy baby on Olga, forcing Olga to balance personal boundaries with familial duty.

In Its Own Voice

When Laura and Anne watch the girls sneak out into the moonlit night, they admire the silent performance from their cots.

"Isn't it weird--in the moonlight and in utter silence!"

After a hard day of coaxing Elizabeth into the water, Olga insists on knowing what drove her friend to face her deepest terror.

"Now I want to know what made you get over your fear of the water," she said.

When Olga despairs that her sister's sudden arrival prevents her from attending meetings or carrying out group projects, Laura redefines what it means to be a leader.

"'Love is the joy of service so deep that self is forgotten.' And isn't the home the place above all others where Camp Fire Girls should render service?"

What It's Really About

Beneath its narrative of badges, camp cookery, and summer outings, the book explores how community support can rescue young women from isolation. It contrasts the coldness of broken or exploitative families—such as Elizabeth's oppressive home life and Sonia's abandonment of her sister and child—with the chosen kinship created by the girls. The text argues that true self-reliance is not solitary independence, but rather maintaining one's physical and emotional health in order to serve others effectively. It frames domestic labor, hospital visits, and quiet household sacrifices not as chores, but as meaningful civic work, asserting that young women possess both the agency and responsibility to shape their immediate communities.

Why Read It Today

This novel offers a clear window into early twentieth-century youth movements, reflecting the domestic ideals and social reform efforts of its era. Readers interested in historical fiction for young adults will appreciate its detailed focus on female solidarity, practical outdoor living, and city charity work. The narrative moves at a steady pace, driven by genuine interpersonal warmth and realistic everyday struggles rather than exaggerated melodrama.

While modern readers may notice period elements—such as occasional dialect choices like the cook Katie's speech, traditional gender roles around housework, and the formal tone of its moral instruction—the core relationships remain grounded and believable. The book does not present its young heroines as perfect; they get tired, cross, and overwhelmed by their responsibilities. What stays with the reader is the text's earnest conviction that small, everyday acts of discipline and kindness have the power to transform difficult lives.