HOW THE MAGAZINE WENT OUT
Before nine o'clock that night the magazines had all been wrapped, ready
for Ike to take to the post-office. The children were just as eager to
continue the work, but Mrs. Talmage said that nine o'clock was time to
go home.
"We'll all be here Monday afternoon to help some more, Mrs. Talmage,"
promised the Blue Birds as they skipped away beside their mothers.
It took the Bobolinks all of that week, working every moment after
school, and many of the evening hours, to finish the rest of the
magazines. Everyone had decided that ten thousand would be enough for
the first issue, for it took so long to wrap each copy that no extra
time could be given to printing.
The first week of November results began to appear. One day the Blue
Birds came to the Winter Nest and found several letters lying on the
table, addressed to the "Blue Birds of Oakdale."
"Oh, oh! who do you s'pose they are from?" eagerly asked Norma.
Dot was trying to look right through the envelope and the others laughed
at her expression.
"Let's open them and see!" said sensible Ruth.
Mrs. Talmage entered the room just then and the letters were given her
to open and read aloud.
"Maybe they are subscriptions," suggested Mrs. Talmage, as she slipped a
paper-knife under the flap of an envelope.
"Goodness! suppose they are?" whispered Betty.
"What would we do with them?" said Dot.
As this was an entirely new and unexpected problem, the Blue Birds
looked at each other and then at Mrs. Talmage.
"I think we will have to invite the Bobolinks to a conference to-day and
talk this matter over," said Mother Wings.
Norma was sent to the Publishing House to invite the boys to be present
at the meeting that afternoon at five. As it was four-thirty, the boys
hurried to wash their hands and pull down their shirt sleeves, for
almost all of them had taken off their coats and rolled up their
sleeves.
The meeting proved to be very important in the judgment of the
children, for the letters were found to contain money orders and checks
which had to be deposited in some bank.
After looking over the papers, Ned said, "We must sign these and send
back a receipt, eh, mother?"
"Yes, and we must select some bank in which to place our account; shall
we say the Oakdale Trust Company?" said Mrs. Talmage.
So that was agreed upon and the secretary told to stop at the bank in
the morning and get the necessary blanks for the company to fill in.
"What a heap of money the magazines must make," said Dot. "Just look at
all the money we have already with no list."
"But you forget we have really no costs to pay at present so all that is
paid in is profit. But the city publishers have heavy expenses to pay
out of all their income," explained Mrs. Talmage.
"Uncle Ben says that hardly any magazine published could pay its
expenses on the subscriptions only; it is the advertising that pays for
the work," said Ned.
"We ought to get busy on our advertising, then," urged Jinks.
"If we don't we won't pay costs after all of these free donations of
paper and postage are over," added Meredith.
"You boys practised that part of the work, so why don't you try and call
upon some big firms and ask for contracts?" asked Dot.
"How do you know we practised?" questioned Ned, looking at the Blue
Birds, who started giggling as they recalled the visit to the loft over
the carriage house.
"Ho, didn't you?" insisted Dot.
"No one but we boys knew it--we kept the doors closed while we tried to
see which one could do it best," replied Don.
"A little bird whispered it in our ears," teased Ruth.
"Say, Jinks! do you remember the time I heard those noises in the loft?"
asked Ned.
The Bobolinks saw that the girls were laughing at them.
"I wonder when Mr. Richards will get that story printed in the
papers--that will help so much!" sighed Betty.
"Don't be impatient, little girl," said Mrs. Talmage. "Remember, we
have only just begun, and I think there have been marvelous steps
taken."
"And when it once gets started, the subscription list will grow very
rapidly," added Aunt Selina.
And so it proved. In a few weeks' time the letters containing checks and
money orders for subscriptions reached such proportions that Mrs.
Talmage was distracted trying to attend properly to the clerical work.
Mr. Talmage saw that it was such tiresome application to detail that he
telephoned Uncle Ben to send out a competent filing clerk; in a few days
a nice young girl of about eighteen arrived and took charge of all the
mail, and Mrs. Talmage heaved a deep sigh of relief.
Uncle Ben had made it a custom to visit his brother's family every
week-end since the inception of the magazine, and one Saturday he
arrived unusually early--in time for lunch.
"Ned, can you call a meeting of the B. B. & B. B.'s at the Publishing
House for two o'clock?" asked Uncle Ben.
"The Bobolinks will be there anyway, but I am not so sure about the
Blue Birds," said Ned, looking at Ruth.
"We had something to talk over in the Winter Nest, but we can postpone
it until afterward," said Ruth.
So at two o'clock all of the children were gathered about Uncle Ben to
hear the news he had to tell them.
Uncle Ben made a great fuss clearing his throat as if in preparation for
an oration, then took a packet of letters from his pocket.
"The sample issue of your magazine made such a stir in various
publishing circles, that one of the officers of the Publishers'
Association asked me Thursday night who was back of all this business
that a lot of youngsters had started down at Oakdale.
"I didn't reply right away, and a man sitting near me said, 'Oh, some
folks, probably, who have a smattering of how to do printing!'
"Some of my friends laughed hilariously, for they thought it a good joke
on me, but the President of the association was not satisfied.
"'This is no amateurish work, Mackensie,' he said; 'here is a copy of
the magazine and I tell you it can compete with any juvenile publication
in the country. Why, man, the names of some of the contributors are
familiar to me, for I know of offers made to induce these same writers
to throw us morsels of their wisdom.'
"Then a friend of mine spoke.
"'This whole affair sounds very much like the pet hobby of a friend--he
told me about it years ago.'
"The other men laughed at the explanation, but my friend looked at me
and said, 'Talmage, what do _you_ know about it?'
"Then I said, 'My niece and nephew belong to the Blue Birds and
Bobolinks that started the poor children's outing at Oakdale, last
summer. They have become so interested in the work that they propose
raising enough money this winter to take over a farm of a few thousand
acres and send out hundreds of children for all of next summer.'
"'They what?' exclaimed every man present.
"'Say that again!' commanded the President, so I gladly told them the
story in detail.
"Well, B. B. & B. B.'s--do you want to know the result of that
meeting?"
The children shouted and begged to be told at once, so Uncle Ben
continued with evident pleasure in the telling.
"Those great publishers talked for hours of ways and means in which to
help along your good work. Some promised to interest prominent people
they knew, and others offered to insert advertising cards in their own
publications to tell about the magazine and its purpose. Almost every
one of them offered to make special clubbing offers with their own
magazines to induce readers to subscribe for yours.
"Now, these letters are the results of some of the promises already kept
by these men. I will read them to you."
Uncle Ben then proceeded to read aloud the letters from prominent people
and philanthropists who had responded to the call made by friends. They
commended the interest shown by the younger generation and hoped the
sympathetic work done for the sick and poverty-stricken little ones of
the cities would win success. To this end a donation was inclosed.
As Uncle Ben read the last letter, he took from his wallet a package of
checks and handed them over to Ned.
Ned saw the figure written on the face of the first check on top and
held the package as if it were dangerous.
"Heigh, there, Ned, they aren't loaded, are they?" laughed Jinks.
"Read it off, Ned," urged the boys and girls.
"This top one is from the Cage Foundation and is for five hundred
dollars--subscriptions to be sent to hospitals. The next one----" and
Ned gasped again as he took up the second paper.
Uncle Ben laughed at his evident amazement.
"The second is from the Sarnegie Fund and is made out for a thousand
dollars, subscriptions to be sent to homes and orphanages.
"And here's another for five hundred dollars from Harriet Rowld. Then
there's--let me see! One--two--three--four--for a hundred dollars each
for cripples' homes."
When Ned finished the children were too surprised to say a word, but
Uncle Ben spoke for them.
"Well, Chicks--I mean Birds--you see that any time you grow weary of
working out this scheme there will be no difficulty in selling the
business for cash. Any wide-awake publisher will jump over the moon to
get this magazine from you."
"Oh, Uncle Ben! what a dreadful thing to say!" cried Ruth.
"As if we ever would sell out such a wonderful plan," murmured several
of the children.
"If every one of you feel the same about this matter, why not pass a
resolution that we will never sell out this business for mere commercial
reasons?" suggested Uncle Ben.
It was instantly agreed upon and the resolution made a part of the
by-laws of the company.
"Now, for a social proposition," said Uncle Ben, smiling in his
possession of a pleasant secret.
"I was thinking that we ought to get out an extra fine Christmas number,
and send out as many samples as could be turned off the press. To do
this you would have to have several men working during your school
hours, so I thought it best to ask the men already here to wait for
further orders. With all of this money on hand you can easily pay their
salary and that of another good man that I should like to send out here
to boss the work. Ike says he can fix up some rooms in the loft overhead
and the men can take their meals with him. The two men who are working
here like it very much and will remain if you want them to."
"But we would be crowded out of our work if the men did all of it,"
complained Don.
"Not a bit of it! I said: 'During school hours,' so an extra large
number of magazines can be printed for Christmas. You boys worked every
moment of your time but could only finish ten thousand this month,"
explained Uncle Ben.
So it was cheerfully agreed to have the men help them with the next
month's magazine.
"You said 'social,' but I don't see anything social in having the men
help with the work," grumbled Don.
"Now that you will have the men to help with the work you will have time
to think of the social side of the plan I am going to suggest," replied
Uncle Ben, winking at Don to cheer him up. "So many of my friends in New
York have heard of this B. B. & B. B. Company that I am constantly
answering questions as to your ages, looks, and other personal matters.
I think it will be a splendid plan to have all of you meet them soon and
spare me so many extra words and time, to say nothing of wear and tear
on my vocal cords."
"I know you've got a lovely surprise to tell us--I can tell it in your
voice!" cried Ruth, jumping up and hugging her uncle about the neck.
"I don't know whether it is or not--how can I say until the others tell
me whether it is," said Uncle Ben, trying to look troubled over the
doubt.
"Out with it, Uncle Ben!" laughed Ned.
"Well, if I must, I must!" groaned Uncle Ben. "I have discovered a very
amusing play that has Saturday matinees. Of course, I suppose Birds
could get into a theatre, couldn't they? Well, if we went to see the
show in the afternoon and then went to a hotel where we could have a
dining-room all to ourselves and give a little party to all of my
friends, it would save me so much trouble for the future."
Mere words failed to express the excitement and delight of the children
as they fully realized what Uncle Ben meant.
"Oh," said Betty, "I've never been to a theatre in my life--and to
think of going to one in New York, oh!"
"Neither have I, Betty," replied May. "Can you go?"
"Will mother go with us, Uncle Ben?" asked Ruth.
"Most assuredly, for you Blue Birds will have to have a Mother Wing to
cover you--and Aunt Selina, too, if she will come," said Uncle Ben.
"When can we go?" asked Don, eagerly.
"Have you decided to come?" teased Uncle Ben.
The storm of acceptance made him laugh.
"Well, then, let's say a week from next Saturday, if everyone can
arrange it for that time. I will invite my friends to be at our party at
six o'clock sharp, for afterward we will have to come home on the nine
o'clock train."
"And will some of those real publishers be there, Uncle Ben?" asked Ned,
sceptically.
"Some of the greatest in America, my boy," said Uncle Ben, seriously, as
he understood Ned's ambition to meet them and his doubt of having the
desire fulfilled.
"What must we wear?" asked Norma.
"The prettiest that you have, for I want to show off my publishing
company to the very best advantage," replied Uncle Ben.
Just then Mr. Talmage appeared at the doorway and said,
"Do you know that dinner is almost ready and no one there to sit down to
table?"
Then everyone began to tell of the party to be given in New York, and
Mr. Talmage seemed very much surprised.
"If that is the case, you will all have to do your very best to have a
fine Christmas magazine so that the friends you meet in New York will
want to come to another party at some other time. Perhaps if the
magazine was very, very attractive they would feel so proud of being
acquainted with you that they would take the trouble to come all the way
out to Oakdale to have a party this winter," ventured Mr. Talmage.
"Wouldn't it be fun to invite them all here at the Christmas Holidays
and give them a real country Christmas tree with Uncle Ben for Santa
Claus!" cried Betty, expectantly.
"And sleigh-rides from the train, and bob-sledding down Oakdale Hill,
then over to our Publishing House for the Tree," added Dot.
"And have a present for everyone like we had on our Fourth-of-July
tree," cried Ruth.
"And after all the fun is over, a great big feast with plum-pudding,"
sighed Don, making them all laugh.
"Yes, I think that will be fine, and I don't believe one of those New
Yorkers will stay away if you tell them all the fun you propose giving
them," laughed Uncle Ben.
"But, first, let us have our party with you, Uncle Ben, then we can talk
about the Christmas one," advised Ned.
Families in Oakdale were entertained that Saturday night by hearing the
children tell of the plans made by Uncle Ben for the social side of the
B. B. & B. B.'s life. Many were the dreams of all the fun to be had when
that New York party came off.
While the children were home talking over the anticipated dinner-party,
the grown-ups at Mossy Glen were engaged in perfecting plans for the
party. Invitations on grey paper, printed in blue ink, with a flight of
birds shadowed across the sheet was the suggestion of Aunt Selina. The
favors for the table and the tokens presented for speech-making were
suggested by Mrs. Talmage, while the dinner and decorations were planned
by Mr. Talmage and Uncle Ben.
Much fun was the result of the party in New York. The guests accepted
the B. B. & B. B.'s invitation to have a Christmas Tree at the
Publishing House with great eagerness. But it will take another book to
tell about everything that happened.
This book, called "THE BLUE BIRDS' UNCLE BEN," is the third of the
series.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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