Later, down on the lower end of the lawn, with the moon making a path
of silver along the water, and the soft hush of the summer night over
everything, Shirley brought out her guitar, singing for them strange
folk-songs, picked up in her rambles with her father. Afterwards, the
whole party sang songs that they all knew, ending up at last with the
club song.
"'It's a habit to be happy,'" the fresh young voices chorused, sending
the tune far out across the lake; and presently, from a boat on its
further side, it was whistled back to them.
"Who is it, I wonder?" Edna said,
"Give it up," Tom answered. "Someone who's heard it--there've been
plenty of opportunities for folks to hear it."
"Well it isn't a bad gospel to scatter broadcast," Bob remarked.
"And maybe it's someone who doesn't live about here, and he will go
away taking our tune with him, for other people to catch up," Hilary
suggested.
"But if he only has the tune and not the words," Josie objected, "what
use will that be?"
"The spirit of the words is in the tune," Pauline said. "No one could
whistle or sing it and stay grumpy."
"They'd have to 'put the frown away awhile, and try a little sunny
smile,' wouldn't they?" Patience observed.
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