Blue Birds' Winter Nest

by Lillian Elizabeth Roy

  CHAPTER XIV

  THE B. B. & B. B. MAGAZINE

  By the fifteenth of October the Blue Birds and Bobolinks were deep inthe work of constructing a magazine. Uncle Ben sent out the two youngmen he had spoken of, and they showed the children what to do and how todo it.

  The Oakdale Paper Mills passed a vote to supply the paper for one year,and the B. B. & B. B. Company had agreed to give the mills advertisingcredit for the donation.

  The two important letters which had caused such consternation in theBobolink nest were all printed on beautiful grey paper in blue ink, andthe envelopes all addressed and packed in boxes ready to be used.

  All the stories, articles and lessons had been given to Uncle Ben beforethe tenth of the month and he had sent back the linotype by thethirteenth as he promised he would. Then work began in real earnest.

  The Bobolink Boys had to make a galley proof of the printing, and theBlue Birds had to read it (or at least their mothers did) and constructthe dummy. This last work was great fun.

  Every evening fathers and mothers visited the Publishing House and theWinter Nest and assisted where they could, or watched progress when theywere not needed; after every meeting it became the custom for one or theother of the fathers to treat the publishing company and guests torefreshments. This, Don thought, was reward enough for every aching backor arm. To keep the children from tiring of the treats, the fathersplanned each morning, while going into the city, just what new kind of asurprise to furnish that night.

  The interest shown at first had not abated--possibly due to the factthat so much fun was always to be had from unexpected sources--and thetwo men from the city said it was a marvel that children could producesuch splendid work.

  "Goodness! those Bobolinks ought to! they spent heaps and heaps of timefooling with those machines to learn how to work 'em!" said Dot Starr,overhearing what the men said.

  "And just see how the fathers help!" added Norma.

  "I guess the magazine wouldn't be much of a paper if the Blue Birdshadn't done their part so well," said May.

  "And the Blue Birds' mothers!" reminded Ruth.

  The Blue Birds were sitting on the steps of the piazza waiting for Mrs.Talmage and Aunt Selina to join them, when Dot told them of the"city-man's" commendation of the work.

  "Here comes Flutey, now," said Ruth, hearing the slow steps of her aunt.

  "Well, Blue Birds, how's the song this morning?" cried Aunt Selina,happily.

  The children all turned with one accord and looked at her. Some greathappiness must have been sent her, for she was bubbling over with secretjoy and her face looked as young as one of the Blue Bird's. She took achair near the children.

  "Say, Flutey, you won't be offended if I ask you a very happy question,will you?" asked Dot, in a half-whisper.

  "Why, of course not! Ask it, child," smiled Aunt Selina.

  "Well, you look so happy, you know, I thought maybe _that_ soldier-mancame back to marry you--maybe his being shot was all a mistake and hehas been a prisoner all this time and just got away," said Dot withhorror and awe in her tones.

  Mrs. Talmage had stepped out just in time to overhear the funny littlegirl's remark and she had to run inside and smother her laughter in ahandkerchief, for Dot was most serious in her statement, and it wouldnever do to make her feel badly by laughing at her sympathy.

  "Oh, no, dearie, those prisons were abandoned soon after the war. Butthis surprise I have for the Blue Birds is entirely different fromanything personal," replied Aunt Selina.

  "Oh, what is it?" asked several voices.

  "I have a letter here," said Aunt Selina, taking it from her reticule,"in reply to one I wrote an old-time friend a short time ago. Thisfriend started an advertising business in Philadelphia many years agoand has been very successful. Let us see what advice this friend givesabout securing contracts for advertising."

  The Blue Birds hovered about Aunt Selina's chair eager to hear theletter read.

  The letter was short, but to the point. Mr. Sphere said he was delightedto hear from his old friend and hoped his information would give herlittle friends the satisfaction they deserved for their undertaking. Hesaid that one of his best representatives had been told to call at MossyGlen to interview the Blue Birds and to do just as the ladies directed.This man would tell them how to get advertising.

  "Oh, Flutey! is that all he said?" murmured Ruth.

  "Why, I don't call that such a piece of 'happy' news to smile over asyou did!" pouted Dot.

  "He didn't ask you how you had been all the time since you two knew eachother, and he never said a word about our magazine," grumbled Norma,feeling a personal offence in the letter.

  "Why, children! _I_ think it is a wonderful piece of good news to hearthat he takes enough interest in the work to send one of his best mendown here to talk matters over," said Mrs. Talmage.

  "If you knew my friend you would understand this letter better, for healways was a quiet chap who listened to others, but said littlehimself," explained Aunt Selina.

  The following day while the Blue Birds were at the Publishing Housewatching the wonderful process of stitching and trimming completedmagazines, a very alert young man rang the bell at the Talmage house.

  Mrs. Talmage and Aunt Selina welcomed the visitor.

  Shouts of excitement reached the house where the ladies were talkingwith Mr. Sphere's representative, and soon a crowd of boys and girlsswarmed up the steps and ran pell-mell for Mrs. Talmage, nothing dauntedby seeing the stranger.

  "Mother, mother, see, see!" cried Ruth, dragging Jinks by the sleeve.

  "Oh," gasped little Betty, "see our magazine!"

  "It's perfectly lovely, Mrs. Talmage!" cried Dot.

  The older boys were more subdued when they saw the stranger.

  Mrs. Talmage introduced the gentleman, Mr. Richards, one of the New Yorkadvertising solicitors for the Philadelphia agency. He smiled in acondescending way when Don asked, "Want to see our magazine?"

  "Yes, indeed! It is such an unusual thing to find such dear littlechildren interested in such a way," replied Mr. Richards, looking aboutat the boys and girls.

  Don looked at Dot with a glance that said as plain as day, "Pooh! he'strying to pat us on the back!"

  And Dot said to the visitor: "Don't think that we like to be fussed overjust because we are working!"

  The rest of the publishing company looked uncomfortable at the veryevident tendency to humor them on account of their work.

  The fact was, that the man couldn't understand why his firm (such asensible lot of business men) should send him away from his importantwork in New York to call upon some wealthy ladies and a number ofchildren, to talk about advertising pages in a toy magazine.

  The two copies of the completed magazine had been given to Aunt Selinaand Mrs. Talmage and they expressed such satisfaction at the appearanceof the work that the man turned his attention to Mrs. Talmage. Shehanded him her copy.

  When Mr. Richards saw the magazine, he was surprised out of his usualself-possession and exclaimed,

  "Why, who did this?"

  "Blue Birds and Bobolinks," replied Ned, with head tilted on one sidethe better to see the precious book the man held.

  "But this is first-class work!" exclaimed the visitor.

  "Sure! did you think we were going to turn out anything else?" askedJinks, insulted.

  "Oh, of course not, but it takes experienced hands to do anything asgood as this," continued Mr. Richards, turning the pages slowly andexamining each one carefully.

  "Well, Uncle Ben knew the kind of workers we were when he trusted uswith his pet hobby!" declared Ned, proudly.

  Mr. Richards looked rather helpless, so Mrs. Talmage explained who"Uncle Ben" was and what part he had taken in the enterprise.

  Light gradually began to break in upon the young man's brain as he heardthe story of the magazine. Suddenly he sat up as if electrified with anew idea. He looked about at the children, the house, lawns, and ladies;finally he took
his return railroad ticket from his pocket and noted thename printed on the card--Oakdale.

  "Well, well, well! is this place called 'Mossy Glen'?" he asked.

  "It is," replied Mrs. Talmage, wonderingly.

  "And these youngsters, the same that set folks agog last summer withtheir 'Fresh Airs'?"

  Mother Wings bowed affirmatively, but the Blue Birds, who had neverdreamed that their doings had ever been heard of outside of their ownlittle community, were as surprised as their visitor.

  The solicitor looked everyone over with a new interest after that, andbreathed softly to himself, "Great Scott! What a piece of luck to getthe lead in this idea!"

  "We do not understand exactly what you mean," said Mrs. Talmage, withdignity.

  "Well, I was present at a meeting a short time ago when the talk veeredto a project evolved by some children. It was creating quite a littleinterest among the older men, but I paid little attention to it at thetime, for I had my mind full of other matters. But I remember hearingone of the leading publishers state that he believed we would hear ofthis undertaking in the future, for he knew some of the children whowere in it. Now, here I am, unconsciously dropped into the heart of it."

  From that moment Mr. Richards was the enthusiastic collaborator of thecompany. He went over the pages of the magazine again and made somevaluable suggestions for the future. When he expressed a desire to visittheir plant, everyone jumped up ready to show him the B. B. & B. B.Publishing House.

  Another great surprise awaited Mr. Richards. He had an idea that thework was done upon toy machinery, or hand presses; but, to find a shopequipped with electric motors and up-to-date machines, to say nothing oftype-stands and a real office, was more than he could comprehend.

  "I'm not surprised at the statement that man made at the meeting--hemust have known you children, indeed!"

  "Seems to me that we are getting this young man 'rooted' in this work,"laughed Aunt Selina, who liked the expression ever since Mrs. Talmagetold her how to interest friends in the work.

  "Well, I'm 'grafted' upon this idea even if I'm not 'rooted,'" returnedMr. Richards, laughingly. "So much so, in fact, that I am going to makea suggestion that I think will meet with the approval of all of you."

  The children came closer to await his proposition.

  "At present I am an advertising man, but I used to be on one of thelarge newspapers in the city, and whenever any unusual story came in Iwas supposed to 'dress it' for publication. Now, in my opinion, thiswhole affair will make a fine story for the press and at the same timegive this magazine the publicity it needs." Mr. Richards looked at theladies for approval.

  "It doesn't seem valuable enough for a paper to print," ventured Mrs.Talmage.

  "It is the _unusual_ that papers are always after," replied Mr.Richards. "Show me anything more unusual than this (waving his arm aboutto embrace the children, the plant and the work) and I will run afterit!"

  "What would you say in the story?" asked Aunt Selina.

  "Well, I'd take kodak pictures of this office, of the plant, and of theWinter Nest you have been telling me about. Then we would group thechildren on the lawn in front of the house and have a picture of theBlue Birds and Bobolinks who own and publish this magazine."

  "What would Mr. Sphere say if he saw the story in the papers?" askedAunt Selina.

  "He'd say, 'Richie, old boy, I always knew you had a grain of sense inyour head!'" laughed Mr. Richards.

  "I have a fine camera in case you want to use it," said Ned, eagerly.

  "And we have everything in good shape to have a picture taken," addedMeredith.

  "If the ladies consent we will lose no more time, but get the pictureswhile the sun is right," Mr. Richards said, as he turned toward theladies and Blue Birds.

  "Yes, yes, Mother Wings, let's do it!" cried several Blue Birds. So AuntSelina and Mrs. Talmage smiled a consent.

  Ned brought his camera and Mr. Richards grouped the Bobolinks about themachines in as workman-like poses as possible, and managed to get a goodpicture of them. Next, the office, with Jinks at the typewriter and Nedat the desk, was photographed. Outside, the Blue Birds and Bobolinksgrouped themselves in front of the door and another picture was taken.The Blue Birds were given their pose as editors in the large library ofthe house, where books and writing material could be utilized in thepicture. The Winter Nest was the last picture to be taken.

  "Now, watch the papers for a story of your entire plan and achievement,with illustrations, and if you don't tell me the next time I come outthat my idea was the best publicity plan imaginable, then you'll beungrateful, indeed!" said Mr. Richards, pleased as he could be with thesuccess of his visit.

  "When will the papers come out?" asked Ned.

  "I'll keep you posted day by day. I'm not going to lose sight of such apromising crowd of young folks, _I tell you!_" laughed the young man ashe placed the film in his pocket and started to say good-by.

  "Say, here, are you going to take that magazine with you?" cried Don,seeing the magazine rolled up in the visitor's hand.

  "Well, I guess! I'm going to exploit this everywhere I go," said Mr.Richards, tapping the paper with his hand.

  "And tell the newspaper man that lots of famous folks have promised towrite for us," said Ruth, who desired the magazine to have all the glorypossible.

  "And tell him to be sure and say that Aunt Selina will be glad to havegrown-ups write to ask her about Happy Hills," added Aunt Selina,anxious to have the children's farm advertised.

  "I'll make them write everything I can think of, and more too, ifpossible," laughed the young man as he started down the steps.

  "Oh, Mr. Richards, I forgot to tell----" Don started to say something,but Ike interrupted from the automobile which had been waiting for sometime in front of the house.

  "There'll just be time to jump aboard that train if we get off at once!"

  Mr. Richards jumped in and raised his hat to the ladies, while Ikestarted the car at full speed, the children meantime waving their handsand shouting reminders after the visitor.

  Back to the Publishing House trooped the bevy of workers, more eagerthan ever to continue their work.

  "Now, he's what I call an 'all right' man!" declared Don Starr,emphatically, as he accented his words with punches at the stitcher.

  "What a piece of luck for us," exclaimed Ned, overjoyed at the promisednewspaper story.

  "I always said I wanted to go through college," said Tuck Stevens,thoughtfully; "but what's the use? When I have such a good business towork in and will be all ready to live on my money by the time I'm a man,why should I bother?"

  "That's so, Tuck; better have a good time on that money," laughed Jinks.

  "Better 'not count your chickens before they're hatched' or they maynever come out of the shell," teased Ned.

  The Blue Birds had been equally busy talking, while folding pages, butthe work soon engrossed too much of their attention to keep up anyconversation.

  After several hours' work the Blue Birds began to feel tired anddecided to carry the finished magazines to the house.

  As each little girl came up the steps carrying a heap of neatly finishedmagazines, the two ladies stopped talking and turned to watch the girlsdeposit the magazines on the table in the hallway.

  "What were you saying about Happy Hills, mother?" asked Ruth.

  "Aunt Selina was telling me all about the three beautiful hills at theback of the estate. She said what pretty kodak pictures they would makeif we wanted to use them for the magazine, and I said it might be a goodplan to write up a short story about our plan for next month's issue."

  "Oh, yes, that would be a fine start for the farm," cried Ruth.

  "And we think that we would need all of the time we can get to make sureof next summer's success," added Aunt Selina.

  "Aunt Selina, how many poor children do you think we can keep at HappyHills?" asked Ruth.

  "We could not tell without having expert help to show how many camps canbe built th
ere," said Aunt Selina.

  "Oh, are you going to build camps, Aunt Selina?" asked Norma.

  "I thought the children were going to live in the woods," said Dot.

  "But you didn't expect them to sleep on the ground and dress behind thebushes, did you?" said May.

  "I never thought what they would do," returned Dot.

  "Will you have nests to live in like ours in the cherry-tree?" askedBetty.

  "No, dearie, I am planning to build little houses that will hold aboutsix or eight bunks, and a locker for each child. These houses will havea floor and a roof with posts to hold it up, but the walls will be madeof canvas curtains that we can roll up when we want the house wide open.The long building where the children will gather to eat or have games,will be centrally located if we build it in the valley between the threehills," explained Aunt Selina.

  "Are we going to give the camp a name?" asked Edith.

  "Why, we hadn't thought of that--we can use the name 'Happy Hills,'couldn't we?" said Mrs. Talmage.

  "Nobody will know the camp is any different then. The place has alwaysbeen called Happy Hills, so how is a stranger going to know that it isthe same where the children are living?" said Dot.

  "The name 'Hills' sounds all right, but you can't call the big house inthe valley by the name of 'Hills'; we ought to have a new name for_that_ so the children will know what place we mean when we talk aboutthe dining-room," suggested Norma.

  "Just say 'Valley where the long house is,'" said Edith.

  "That doesn't sound nice, a bit! Everything else we have have such nicenames," complained Ruth.

  "But, why do you children want a name for the valley and one for thechildren's camps?" asked Aunt Selina.

  "Doesn't everything in the world have a name?" asked Dot.

  The others laughed, but Ruth added, "Dot's right; we have a name for ourcherry-tree nest, and one for the new nest; and Mrs. Catlin is going tocall her Blue Birds' nest 'Hill Top Nest'--'Blue Birds of Hill TopNest.'"

  "But this is different," argued Mrs. Talmage.

  "No, it isn't, Mrs. Talmage," insisted Dot. "We call our house 'Oakwood'and you call this place 'Mossy Glen'--and our town we call Oakdale. Why,what for? Everyone knows where the Starrs live, and where the Talmageslive, and we all know where the town lives, so what's the use of havingnames?"

  "Dot, you hit the nail on the head every time," said Aunt Selina, as allof the others laughed at Dot's explanation.

  "Yes, but that's why we want a name for our children's camp and thevalley," said Ruth.

  "Really, it doesn't matter to us how many names you choose to giveit--just please yourselves about it," said Aunt Selina.

  "All right, then, if you don't mind, we'll try to get a real lovely namefor it," said Betty, smiling at Aunt Selina.

  For quite a time, silence reigned, for the Blue Birds were trying tothink of a pretty name for the farm.

  "In 'Pilgrim's Progress' there is a 'Valley of Humility,'" suggestedMay.

  "I'll run and get the Bible Concordance--that will have some valleynames in it," said Ruth, running indoors to get the book.

  "Now, listen while I read some for you," continued Ruth, bringing thebook over to the wicker table.

  "Here's one--'Inhabitants of the Valley'--turn that about and call it'Valley of Inhabitants.'"

  "No, that isn't nice!" objected several voices.

  "Then comes a lot of hard-spelled names of valleys that won't do,either. Next comes: 'valley of passengers' and 'valley of vision.'"

  "We don't want either one," grumbled Dot.

  "Would you like the name 'Valley of Joy'?" asked Aunt Selina.

  After a few moments' thought the children replied, "Better, but notright yet."

  Aunt Selina smiled and thought how difficult to please were these BlueBirds; but Mrs. Talmage smiled, knowing that the children knew just whatthey wanted.

  After much thinking and suggesting, Ruth said, "We ought to have a namethat will fit with Happy Hills, you know."

  After "pleasure," "fun," "contentment" and other names had beensuggested, Aunt Selina suddenly mentioned "delight."

  "Valley of Delight," repeated Mrs. Talmage to hear the sound of it,while the Blue Birds hailed the name as just right.

  "Happy Hills in the Valley of Delight!" said Aunt Selina, as pleased asthe children were.

  "Write it down--that's its name from now on," cried Dot.

  "We want it printed on all of our letter paper that will be used forfarm purposes," said Mrs. Talmage.

  "Oh, yes; won't it look fine to send out letters asking folks to senddonations for the poor children of 'Happy Hills in the Valley ofDelight!' and let them see the name on top of some nice grey paper,"cried Edith.

  "Wish we could find a name for those poor children. I never like to saythat word--'poor,'" complained Ruth.

  "Neither do I," added Norma.

  "I know I wouldn't like a country child to be always calling me 'poorcity child,'" declared Betty.

  "Then you ought to find a nice name for all of them, too, so we won'thave to say 'poor' any more," said Mrs. Talmage.

  All heads were bent down again while busy brains tried to find asuitable name for the proteges coming from the city.

  "Could they be called 'birds' like us?" asked Dot.

  "I do not think city children would care for such a name. You see, dear,they are so precocious from their daily experiences that they mightthink a bird-name silly," said Mrs. Talmage.

  "Maybe they would like the name 'Little Soldiers,'" ventured Norma.

  "Oh, that makes you think of 'Onward Christian Soldiers' and they wouldguess we were goin' to make them join a Sunday School class right off!"objected Dot.

  Everyone laughed at Dot's viewpoint, but Aunt Selina was given an ideaby Norma's suggestion.

  "How would 'Little Workers' sound?" she asked.

  "Then they will all fear you are going to make them work," laughed Mrs.Talmage.

  "'Little Lambs'--'Little Folks'--'Little Friends,'" recited Dot,zealously, then waited for a verdict.

  Heads were shaken in negation of the names, and Ruth started a list ofnames.

  "'Little Americans'--how's that?"

  "Better, but not good enough," replied her mother.

  "Oh, here's one--everything that lives in a forest is called a 'denizen'of the forest--let's call our children 'Little Denizens,'" cried Norma.

  "Wish someone could find a name that would mean the same as Americansand woods folks," came from Betty wistfully.

  "How does 'Little Citizens' sound?" asked Ruth.

  "Wait! say it again!" exclaimed Mrs. Talmage, while the children andAunt Selina seemed to like the name.

  "Little Citizens--of Happy Hills in the Valley of Delight," rehearsedRuth.

  "Why, just the thing--it's lovely!" cried Aunt Selina.

  "Yes, Fluff, couldn't be better," said several of the Blue Birds.

  "Sounds almost like a book story-name, it's so pretty," commended Mrs.Talmage.

  There was no more leisure to admire their new names, because shouts wereheard in the direction of the Publishing House, and the boys came out,each carrying a stack of magazines piled up in their arms. They reachedthe steps and Mrs. Talmage hurried to the hallway to show them in whichcloset to place them.

  "My, but that was a big load!" exclaimed Don.

  "Big piece of work, that!" said Jinks.

  "More fun than I've ever had," commented Meredith.

  "But it makes a fellow awful hungry to work so hard. I wish it was nightso the men could treat," hinted Don.

  The last remark from Don made the children laugh at him, but Mrs.Talmage said, "Don, if you will take Ned into the dining-room you willfind something there which you can carry out here."

  Don looked surprised, but Ned led him indoors to find what the surprisecould be.

  Soon both boys appeared again carrying a tray of cakes and dishes, whilethe maid followed with a huge platter upon which stood a high brick ofice-cream.


  The refreshments were so delicious that the boys said they could startanother day's work if they were sure of being treated with moreice-cream afterward.

  "How many magazines do you suppose you finished to-day?" asked Ruth, ofher brother.

  "Guess."

  "I don't know; we girls carried in 'most a hundred, but our piles werenot so high as the ones you boys brought in."

  "Well, we counted before we left the office; there were thirty in apile, and we brought over thirty piles--that made nine hundred all told,but the hundred you girls carried in makes just one thousand copies.Isn't that great?" cried Ned.

  "Then we can begin mailing copies to our philanthropists to-night, can'twe?" asked Norma.

  "Yes, and bring your mothers with you, to help," said Mrs. Talmage.

  As everyone felt eager to get the thousand copies wrapped and mailed,the children soon said good-by and went home to tell the great news ofthe day's work.