Blue Birds' Winter Nest

by Lillian Elizabeth Roy

  CHAPTER IV

  THE BOBOLINK BOYS FOUNDED

  "Now, Uncle Ben, we can make ourselves at home," said Ned, as he satupon a box in front of his uncle.

  "Oh, maybe you'd like to smoke, Uncle Ben?" continued Ned, recallingthat most men liked an after-dinner smoke. "I shall never use tobaccomyself, because I have studied just what effects it has on one's system,but I won't object to your smoking if you wish."

  Uncle Ben threw back his head and laughed uproariously.

  "Does that mean that you will sit calmly by and see me ruin my healthwith tobacco, and not interfere?" laughed he.

  "Oh, no, you know I didn't mean it that way, although it did soundfunny, didn't it?" replied Ned.

  "Well, Son, I never smoke, either. I believe a man is a better thinkerand cooler business man without it," said Uncle Ben. "But, tell me,what is the tremendous secret that made you lock the door and pull theblinds?"

  "Here it is," whispered Ned, leaning over toward his uncle. "You see,when the Blue Birds started, I hadn't a thing to do, because the Starrboys were at camp and many of the other boys away with their families;so I undertook to print the _Chirp_ for the girls. I liked it, too. Butthey are planning so much for next summer that it will take a regularprinter to turn out their work. Their organization freezes out the boys,yet we helped in every way this summer."

  Uncle Ben nodded comprehendingly.

  "Well, this afternoon, we boys got together and said, 'What's to hinderus from getting up a club for boys under twelve?' We all thought itwould be great, so we started, and have the name, but not the plans.What do you think of it?" asked Ned.

  "You haven't told me enough about it to judge," replied Uncle Ben. "Haveyou founded the club for any purpose?"

  "Oh, yes! We will gather all the little chaps under twelve years of ageinto one organization, and take them on hikes, teach them work, playgames, and do other things," said Ned.

  "And the name of this?"

  "We thought that Bobolink Boys--B. B., you see--would be great as theinitials stand for Blue Birds, too. Of course, we won't sew dolls'clothes, or bake cakes, but we will help the Blue Birds whenever we can,or be independent if we wish. The girls wear bird uniforms, but the boyswill wear jumpers of a certain color, with stripes for grade. We haven'tgone any further. Our first meeting was held in Starr's orchard thisafternoon," grinned Ned.

  Uncle Ben sat thinking very seriously for a long time, then he asked,"What about the _Chirp_? Drop it?"

  "Oh, no! That's one reason we want something of our own to back us up.We can all help print the _Chirp_, and with the little boys to deliverthem, or run errands, it will be easier for all of us. Then, if thegirls get up some bazaar, or entertainment and we have to print cards,etc., it will be much easier."

  "Then your plan is more for cooeperation than competition?" asked UncleBen.

  "Cooperation in everything a boy can help in, but not to belong to aNest that has to do things the Blue Birds do," explained Ned.

  Uncle Ben sat wrapped in thought, and Ned wondered what he was thinkingof. Suddenly, the older man slapped his knee and chuckled with delight.

  "Now what, Uncle? I know it is something good, from your face!"exclaimed Ned, eagerly.

  "Yes, sir. I believe we can pull it off--we'll try, at any rate!"declared Uncle Ben, half to himself.

  "Do tell me!" begged Ned.

  "Ned, did you ever see our magazine come out? I mean did I ever show youover the whole plant, and show you what work it takes to produce a nicelittle paper book each month?"

  "Once, when father and I were at your office, you took me over theplace. I told you then that I wanted to be a publisher, and you laughedand promised to start me on the right track when I was a man. Lastwinter you sent me the printing press and told me to practice," saidNed.

  "Yes, I know, but I wanted to see if you remembered. Now, I think I havea plan that will go a long way toward giving you elementary experiencein publishing, and at the same time provide just what your Bobolinkswould like to do. It will help the Blue Birds along for next summer, andkeep them busy to prevent the Bobolinks from making all the music." AndUncle Ben slapped his knee again, laughing as he thought of how the boyswould unconsciously start a race between the two--Blue Birds andBobolinks.

  "I wish you'd tell me your idea!" coaxed Ned, impatiently.

  "I haven't it all in shape to explain, yet, but I will hammer ittogether in some way to tell you to-morrow. Where do you boys expect tomeet at your weekly, or daily meetings?" asked Uncle Ben.

  "If there are but a few, I thought we could meet in this den of mine.But later, if there is a crowd, we might secure the Y. M. C. A. boys'room, or the reception room of the school," replied Ned.

  "By Thanksgiving time you ought to be in working trim to assume anylarge work I might think of, eh?" asked Uncle Ben.

  "Oh, surely! Long before Thanksgiving, I should think."

  "Now, don't be too sure. Boys are just as hard to muster and understandas girls, and the plan that suddenly suggested itself for you boys totry out is a secret ambition that I have nursed ever since I went intothe publishing business--and that was over twenty-five years ago. I havenever had time to take it up alone, and never found anyone to whom Icould trust so precious a hobby. I see how this combination of BlueBirds and Bobolinks might bring the idea to success, but I shall have tothink it over before speaking further," explained Uncle Ben.

  "Uncle, I surely am grateful for your confidence, and I shall be glad toknow when you can tell us all," said Ned.

  "I wish to talk the matter over with your father first, but you may calltogether some of the boys to-morrow afternoon and I will talk with themto see how many are willing and able to help."

  "Well, I suppose I must wait, but I did hope we could organize our boysto-morrow at recess," said Ned, with an air of disappointment.

  "What's to hinder your doing it?" asked Uncle Ben.

  "How--until we know what we're going to do?"

  "Oh, just make your plans broad enough to take in any ideas that comealong," responded Uncle Ben, rising to go.

  That night after everyone had retired, Uncle Ben took Mr. Talmage downthe drive toward the woods. As they walked slowly along in the brightmoonlight, they discussed various plans suggested by the ladies of theBlue Bird society. Uncle Ben led up, quite naturally, to the neworganization of Bobolinks.

  "Al, those boys are wide awake, all right! If we were to give them aboost now and then, there is no saying how great a philanthropic successthis undertaking may be. It may grow so far out of Oakdale limits thatthe whole world may take part in it. I, for one, have decided to lend mysupport and see what comes of it," said Uncle Ben, seriously.

  "Great Scott! Ben; you _must_ be interested; I haven't seen you soenthusiastic over anything in years," laughed Mr. Talmage.

  "You know how interested I have always been in the publishingwork--even as a boy, like Ned is now. Well, one thing you, and no oneelse, ever did know, was the hope of being able some day to circulate amodel magazine for children. I have known for years that the littlesouls craved something more than the wishy-washy stuff that is giventhem in the name of 'juvenile reading'--Heaven forgive the criminals!Why, our little ones of to-day are as wide awake as grown-ups, and theydemand--unconsciously, perhaps--the same strong quality of bread andmeat reading as adults have been digesting of late years. Educational,adventurous, interesting, work-a-day reading! But the books andmagazines in the main have not advanced to meet the demand for betterchildren's literature. I have long dreamed of just what I would like togive the children of to-day." And Uncle Ben lapsed into silence.

  "I never gave the subject much thought, but I suppose you are right,Ben," admitted Mr. Talmage.

  "That's just it!" cried Uncle Ben, excitedly. "No one ever stops tothink about it, but keeps right on filling the minds of their childrenwith stuff that never benefits them a particle. How many boys of to-daywant to read 'Mother's Brave Little Man,' or 'Jerry the Newsboy'? Bosh!Boys of to-day w
ant 'True Tales of an Indian Trapper,' or 'Boy ScoutAdventures,' or good clean stories--school life, or outdoor sports.It's LIFE and HEALTH they want."

  "Guess you're right, Ben," said Mr. Talmage, smiling at his brother'sdenunciation of present-day literature for children.

  "All right, then! Help me bring about a reform in this line. I havestudied this problem from every point of view and I really believe thatthe growing youth of to-day would not acquire bad habits so readily ifthey were given some occupation that would thoroughly interest them.It's worth trying, at any rate. Let's fill them with some great plan orambition and see how many children will fall into the snares andpitfalls of the past!"

  Uncle Ben so inspired his brother with his enthusiasm that he, too,declared he would do all he could to help.

  "Here's a few women who accomplished wonders this summer with the littlegirls. We have a crowd of boys wasting their time day by day for wantof something interesting to do. Let the fathers follow the mothers'example and help their boys band together for some good cause!" saidUncle Ben.

  "We'll get the men together and propose it--they'll see the value of thesuggestion, just as I have," promised Mr. Talmage.

  "Well, Al, now that you're interested, I have an especially fine plum todrop into your hands. Your own son was the one to start an organizationof boys and name it Bobolink Boys."

  "My Ned!" exclaimed Mr. Talmage, joyfully. "That makes me very happy!"

  "That is what he wished to tell me when we went to his den. He hasorganized a club for boys under twelve, just as the Blue Birds have donefor girls, and the initials are the same--B. B.;--also, they wish tocooperate with the girls, whenever possible," explained Uncle Ben.

  "Well, well!" ejaculated Mr. Talmage, smiling to himself.

  "When I heard Ned outline his plan I decided to encourage the movementif possible by confiding my pet plan to them to experiment on," saidUncle Ben.

  "When the fathers hear of this they will be as happy as I am. Theproblem of keeping a boy actively engaged in some uplifting work is asufficient one. Ned and you seem to have solved it for Oakdale,"admitted Mr. Talmage.

  "Think so! Then you get busy and gather the fathers together to-morrownight for a conference. We will see how many will agree to help alongthe work. I will donate all of my ideas accumulated during the pastyears."

  "I'll telephone everyone I know the first thing in the morning. Whereshall we meet--in the library?" asked Mr. Talmage.

  "Yes, and if there are too many of us we will have to adjourn to alarger place," said Uncle Ben.

  Before breakfast the next morning the Starrs' telephone rang, and Mr.Starr was informed that he was wanted at a meeting to be held inTalmage's library that night. Meredith and Donald knew nothing of UncleBen's talk with Mr. Talmage, but they felt sure the meeting hadsomething to do with their plans.

  Mr. Wells and Mr. Stevens were the next ones to be invited to themeeting, and after that a score or more of fathers were invited.

  Uncle Ben, who had hoped to take a few days' rest in his brother's quietcountry home, found himself very busy in working out his idea so that itcould be simply presented to the meeting of boys and men. He spent theentire morning in jotting down ideas as they came to him.

  Luncheon over, Ned caught Uncle Ben's hand and said, "You haven'tforgotten the date we made, have you?"

  "You wouldn't think so if you had seen me working all morning,"complained Uncle Ben.

  "That's all right then; we boys will meet you in the big empty carriagehouse this afternoon at three-thirty," nodded Ned.

  "I'll be there!" laughed Uncle Ben, as Ned ran off.

  The big room in the carriage house had not been used since the garagehad been built.

  Ned and Ike found some chairs in the store-room, and Simon providedseveral empty boxes. Long planks were placed across the boxes, makingvery good benches for the boys to sit upon. A large packing case stooda few feet in front of the benches to be used as the speaker's stand.

  At three-thirty every boy who had expressed a desire to join theBobolinks was there with expectant looks. Uncle Ben soon arrived andtook a seat by the large box. He spread his papers out in front of himin a very business-like way.

  "Boys, I will go straight to the business under consideration thisafternoon," said Uncle Ben, standing up the better to impress hisaudience.

  "I think the first thing to do is to appoint a secretary."

  Ned was selected, so he sat down behind the packing case to jot down hisnotes.

  "Have you boys formed any kind of an organization?" asked Uncle Ben,turning to Ned.

  "No, sir, not yet," replied Ned.

  "Then let us attend to that now. You must have officers, and rules andby-laws for governing the boys and meetings. Now, I should suggest thatwe begin properly, and hold an election of officers."

  Uncle Ben then told them the proper way to proceed, and the boys weregreatly impressed with the importance of what they were doing. When theelection was completed, Ned had been chosen President, MeredithTreasurer and Jinks Secretary.

  "Now," said Uncle Ben, "with your permission I will preside at thismeeting, instead of your new President. I will read to you what I havewritten on this paper:

  "First: The undersigned have met together to form an organization to beknown as Bobolink Boys.

  "Second: The purpose of this organization is to provide a club for boysunder twelve years of age, that will plan healthful sport, socialmeetings, and assist the Blue Birds in their work and play.

  "Third: Meetings shall be arranged for by vote of members, and all otherimportant matters shall be discussed and decided upon at these meetings.

  "Fourth: An initiation fee of ten cents shall be charged each boydesiring to become a member of the Bobolinks, and dues of five cents amonth shall be collected from every member. Should any member find itimpossible to pay these costs he may be discharged from the obligationby filing an acceptable excuse with the treasurer.

  "Fifth: A bank account shall be opened at the Oakdale National Bank andall funds deposited there. All bills must be paid by check signed by thetreasurer and secretary.

  "Sixth: Any member found deliberately breaking any of the rules andby-laws shall be expelled from the organization, after a meeting held toinvestigate the misdemeanor."

  Uncle Ben looked up from the paper and said,

  "Is that the plan of organization that you boys feel will cover what youwant?"

  "Oh, yes, that's fine!" cried several boys.

  The others still felt too over-awed at the business-like terms justheard, to make any sign, favorable or otherwise.

  "Well, if this paper is acceptable a motion to make it official will bereceived. I want to get to the principal thing for which we havegathered," said Uncle Ben.

  "Now, I shall make some suggestions," continued Uncle Ben, after theoutline had been accepted by a vote. "Are there any boys here who do notwish to become members?"

  All of the twenty-three boys wished to become Bobolinks.

  "Are there any boys present who cannot pay the initial fee and regulardues?" continued Uncle Ben.

  None thought this impossible.

  "After this you write down the names and addresses of every boy whoapplies for membership."

  Ned made a note of it in his book.

  "Now for a catechism: This is very important," said Uncle Ben, lookingabout at the boys. "And answer truthfully!"

  "Ever smoke?"

  "Ever drink?"

  "Ever gamble?"

  "Ever swear?"

  "Ever steal?"

  "Ever fight?"

  "Ever play hookey?"

  "Ever strike anyone weaker than yourself?"

  "I noticed that most of the boys smiled when I said 'hookey,'" venturedUncle Ben, critically. "But let me tell you! 'Hookey' is aninnocent-looking vice that leads to great trouble. It is the seed ofbeing unreliable. A man who is unreliable is a failure in the beginning.So, boys, beware of 'hookey'!"

  The boys felt the seriou
s import of the words and each vowed to foregothe delight in playing hookey when fishing was good, or when baseballwas being played in town ten miles away.

  "Have any of you boys ever been in a printing plant and watched theprocess of turning out papers?" asked Uncle Ben.

  Almost every boy raised his hand instantly in answer to this question,for what boy had not stood at the village printer's yearning to set typeor run one of the fascinating presses?

  "Fine!" smiled Uncle Ben. "And now how many can set type or do smalljobs on the press?"

  Very few could do this, but the Starr boys and Jinks often helped Nedwith printing the _Chirp_ on his small press, and a few other boys knewsomething of the work.

  "Well, I'll have to explain to you what kind of work is required of afirm that prints papers or publishes a magazine. You may think this hasnothing to do with your organization, but you will soon see," said UncleBen.

  As the speaker turned to take up several sheets of paper, a noisychatter was heard outside the house and in another moment all of theBlue Birds, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Talmage, Mrs. Catlin, and MissSelina, entered the room.

  "In passing, we heard the harangue going on in here, and found out fromMr. Talmage that a secret meeting was under way. We would love to hearthe motive and perhaps suggest an idea now and then," laughingly saidMrs. Talmage.

  The Bobolinks looked at each other, and Uncle Ben said, "Members, shallthese intruders be ejected, or shall this organization extend the firstcourtesy to one we hope to assist in the future?"

  The boys giggled, for the manner of presenting the case appealed toevery one of them, and eliminated any feeling of intrusion from the BlueBirds.

  "One item to be written in our by-laws must be: 'Consider the ladiesfirst,'" announced Ned, standing.

  "The visitors are welcome!" said Uncle Ben, making a ceremonious bow.

  "But please remember, visitors, this is a business meeting, not a socialfunction, so I must ask the ladies to find their own seats and notdisturb the gentlemen," said Mr. Talmage.

  The ladies were soon seated in a corner where Ike placed some boxes, andthe Blue Birds squatted upon carriage robes spread out on the floor bySimon. When all was orderly again, Uncle Ben proceeded with hisdiscourse.