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The Blue Birds and Bobolinks were deep in the work ofconstructing a magazine. (Page 259) ("The Blue Birds' Winter Nest.")]
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THE BLUE BIRDS' WINTER NEST
ByLILLIAN ELIZABETH ROY
Author Of"The Blue Birds of Happy Times Nest," "The Blue Birds' Uncle Ben,""The Blue Birds at Happy Hills," "The Five Little Starrs Series,""The Girl Scouts' Country Life Series," etc.
A. L. BURT COMPANYPublishers--New York
Printed in U. S. A.
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Copyright, 1916, byTHE PLATT & PECK COMPANY
Printed in U. S. A.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. How Aunt Selina Flew 7 II. A Sunday Walk and Its Results 26 III. The Blue Birds' Inspiration 45 IV. The Bobolink Boys Founded 62 V. Uncle Ben's Business Talk 81 VI. Beginning the Winter Work 96 VII. Blue Bird Wisdom and Bobolink Work 114 VIII. Aunt Selina's Civil War Story 135 IX. How the Yankees Took Possession 160 X. Beginning To Spell Success 179 XI. The Winter Nest Council 199 XII. The Story of an Alaskan Trip 219 XIII. A Winter in the Frozen North 238 XIV. The B. B. & B. B. Magazine 259 XV. How the Magazine Went Out 285
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THE BLUE BIRDS' WINTER NEST
CHAPTER I
HOW AUNT SELINA FLEW
"Sally! I say, Sally! Come here!" cried a peevish voice, belonging to aquerulous old lady who was huddled up on a couch in the bright morningroom of her fine old mansion.
"I'se here, Miss S'lina--comin' straight an' fas' as mah laigs kinbrings me!" replied a cheerful colored woman, bustling around, andmoving some toast so it would not scorch.
"Are you quite sure you told Abe to meet the eleven-thirty train atGreenfields station? Just fancy how dreadful it would be to have MissRuth get off the train and not find anyone there to meet her!"complained Miss Selina, her face twitching with pain as she raised herhands to emphasize her remark.
"Laws'ee, Miss S'lina! Don' you be 'fraid dat I han't tended toeberyt'ing for little Miss Rufie's welcome! Leave it to ole Sally, whatlikes dat chile like her own kin!"
"Well, then, Sally, hurry with my toast and tea--and for goodness' sake,don't you bring scorched toast again! There, I can smell it burning thisvery minute! How many times must I tell you that I will not trust thoseelectric toasters? The old-fashioned coal fire is good enough forme--and it would be for you, too, if it were not for your ridiculousideas of being progressive and having all these electric fol-de-rols putup in the house. My house, too! Think of it! A servant to order thesecontraptions and use them in my very own home and make me pay for them,when I prefer the ways of my forefathers." Then utterly wearied with herlong complaint, Miss Selina collapsed, and closed her eyes.
Sally, the old family servant who had lived all her days with theTalmage family at Happy Hills, had been a playmate of Miss Selina's; infact, she had grown up with all the children of the "big house." Shesmiled indulgently at her mistress' words, as she bent over a freshpiece of toast.
"Pore chile--Sally knows a heap of time is saved 'twixt 'lectricity an'coal, an' she's goin' to cleave to the bestes' way ever foun' yit--an'she knows what dem old rheumaticks is a-doin' to your temper,"soliloquized the astute servant.
The toast was nicely browned, and the tea brewed perfectly, and Sallyplaced them on a dainty tray which she carried over to the couch.
"Want I should leave you alone, or he'p you break the bread?" askedSally, soothingly.
Miss Selina opened her eyes and answered, "If I were sure you had MissRuth's room all ready, and everything else as it should be, I would letyou pour that tea for me; but I suppose you have neglected half yourwork to be in here with me."
Sally's broad grin wrinkled the corners of her mouth, as she took theteapot and poured the fragrant beverage into a Japanese cup. At the sametime her mind seemed to dwell upon a pleasant subject.
"Does you 'member, Miss S'lina, de las' time little Rufie visited us?Dat's de time she was all full of a plan for havin' some kin' of abird's nest at home. I wonder ef she ever did fix it up?"
Miss Selina forgot to find fault for a few moments, as Sally's wordscaused her to remember the plan her grand-niece had talked over.
"Seems to me, her mother wrote something in a letter about a Blue BirdNest they were going to start. But I haven't the slightest idea what itis. I should think they would build nests for robins and birds who areplentiful in our country places. Blue Birds are not very numerous in ourwoods."
"T'wan't for real birds--don' you recomember? It was jus' de name deywas goin' to use fer a li'l 'sociation like!" corrected Sally, as sheheld the plate of toast within reach of the invalid's hand.
"No, I don't remember! How should I?--with all this pain forever tyingme into knots!" mumbled Miss Selina, as a toothsome morsel of toastentered her mouth.
Suddenly, the crunching of wheels on the gravel drive was heard, andSally craned her neck to look from the window.
"There goes Abe now," she said.
The same day the Blue Birds of Happy Times Nest, at Oakdale, had become"Fliers," little Ruth Talmage, the favorite of the Nest, had received aninvitation to spend a week at her Aunt Selina's house, and Abe was nowon his way to the station to meet her.
Aunt Selina was an unpleasant old lady, and few of her relatives caredto visit her; so, when she had her attacks of rheumatism she generallyhad to spend her time on the couch with no one to amuse her. She hadinvited Ruth the previous Spring, and had enjoyed the little girl'svisit so much, that she had sent for her now when helpless with anotherattack.
Of course, when the telegram came to Ruth's home, asking the little girlto visit Aunt Selina, the Blue Birds felt sorry for her, knowing what amiserable time Ruth would have. Then, too, Ruth's father was expectedhome that Saturday, and Ruth had not seen him for almost a year.
Ruth, however, was willing to sacrifice her own pleasure to help AuntSelina--as every Blue Bird tries to follow the Golden Rule--so she lefther playmates Saturday morning, with promises to write every day untilshe returned, and they, in turn, earnestly promised to explain to herfather just why she went away the day he was expected home.
Now, Happy Hills, Aunt Selina's home, was several miles from GreenfieldsStation, and the country about this section of Pennsylvania was sobeautiful and healthful that city people gradually settled upon estatesand spent their summers there. Beautiful carriages and automobiles dailypassed over the fine old road that divided Happy Hills in half. But noone had much of an opportunity to admire the place as high board fenceshad been built on either side of the road as far as the property frontedit.
Happy Hills was an old family estate comprising more than two thousandacres, half woodland and half cultivated fields and green pastures. Aspring of clear water, hidden among the rocks of the highest hill at theback of the farm, furnished plenty of wat
er for the noisy brook thattumbled from rock to rock on the hillside, and, after splashing in andout among the trees, ran like a broad ribbon through the green meadows.
The entire property was enclosed with a high fence, even the woodlandbeing carefully hemmed in so no little children could get in to play inthe brook, or pick wild berries and flowers that decayed in profusionyear after year.
Sally was a trusted old housekeeper who had her mistress' confidence;Abe was her husband who had driven the Talmage coupe ever since he cameNorth at the time of the Civil War.
Miss Selina had not always been so disagreeable. She had old-fashionedpictures of herself at the age of eighteen when hoop-skirts were thefashion, and the young women wore their hair in "water-falls." At thattime a handsome young man was in love with her, but he was shot in thewar, and she brooded over her loss so long that she lost all thesweetness of living. The older she grew the more disagreeable shebecame, until, not one of her relatives wanted to be with her, butmanaged to keep far from her complaining voice.
And for this old lady, Ruth had waived the anticipated home coming ofher dear father!
Breakfast over, Sally propped Miss Selina up on the cushions and lefther for a time.
After wondering how long it would take Abe to drive back from theeleven-thirty train, Miss Selina started to think of something she hadbeen pondering the last few days. What should she do with her vastestate if she died? She had never made a will, for she abhorred the ideaof dying and having any strangers in her home. But she couldn't take itwith her, and she was nearing seventy years of age with all the signs ofold age breaking over her defenceless head.
She tried to think of someone to whom she really wanted to leave herhome, but there was no one. She generally sighed at this point anddropped the unpleasant thought. To-day, however, she wondered if hernephew and his wife could be plotting to get her property by having Ruthvisit whenever she was invited. This idea seemed to take hold of her,and she frowned as she made up her mind to ask Ruth questions about hermother's intentions and opinions regarding Aunt Selina and Happy Hills.
Miss Selina had been so engrossed in her thoughts that the sound ofcarriage wheels on the drive failed to reach her. Therefore, it was witha start of surprise that she heard the door flung open and a happychild's voice cry:
"Aunt Selina! I'm here! Are you glad to have me?" while a pair of softlittle arms were gently placed about her withered old neck and freshlittle lips pressed her cheek.
The caress was such an unusual experience that Miss Selina forgot towince or complain, and before she did remember, Ruth was bubbling overwith news.
"What do you think is to happen to-day?--Oh! Aunt Selina, we all havenew names at home; even mother is now called Mother Wings and I amFluff. The other Blue Birds have names they chose for themselves, andNed is an Owl, and prints our weekly paper called the _Chirp_. Now,instead of Aunt Selina, I want to call you a bird-name, too. May I?"
Aunt Selina smiled sympathetically at Ruth's words, but, recalled to hercondition by a twinge of pain, she moaned, "Child, poor old Aunt Selinawould make a wretched specimen of a bird nowadays. The only kind I feelthat I could represent truly is a raven--for it always croaks."
Ruth laughed consolingly, but cried, "Oh, Aunt Selina, that is justbecause you feel blue with those old rheumatics. Mother says we alwayslook at life through dark spectacles when we're in pain, and we b'lievethe lovely world has lost all its brightness. Now, I've come to make youforget your blues and I _must_ have a new name to say, because there isso _much_ to tell you that I would lose time if I had to say 'AuntSelina' every time. Besides, a new name will make you forget yourself."
"What could you call me?" questioned her aunt, trying to fall in withthe child's whim.
"We'll have to think! It isn't as easy as it may sound to find a name tosuit. We had a dreadful hard time to do it."
"'Fluff' suits you beautifully. Who found it?" said the old ladyinterestedly.
"I chose two, but we can only have one. One was 'Flutey' the other'Fluff'; Ned and the Blue Birds liked 'Fluff' best, and they have calledme by that name ever since we were christened in the Nest."
"When I was a little girl like you I used to enjoy whistling about theplace so much that father called me his little flute. I can still seethe shocked expression of my aunt who visited us, when she heard merunning about whistling like a boy. She was a grand dame of society inNew York, and _her_ girls were doing embroidery and being taught how tocurtsey and behave in the drawing-room." And Miss Selina smiled at Ruthwho fully understood the remark and clapped her hands delightedly at heraunt who had been a hoyden so long ago.
"I just love to whistle, too. Ned says I can pipe higher and carry atune better than anyone he knows!" declared Ruth, and aunt andgrand-niece felt a common bond of unity.
Ruth was about to demonstrate her accomplishment to Aunt Selina, whenher face puckered into a funny expression and her shoulders hunched upabout her ears as they usually did when some secret thought gave her asurprise. She leaned over the couch and confidentially whispered, "AuntSelina, I'll tell you what! We both love to whistle, don't we? Then, youshall be christened with my other name! You shall be 'Flutey,' eh?"
"Oh, dear child, it would be sarcasm to name me that now! Why, the onlyclaim I have to that name would be because of my fluted skin. Just lookat my neck and face!" said Aunt Selina.
"No such thing!" retorted Ruth. "I never saw any flutes on your faceuntil this very minute when you made me see some little wrinkles. Yourskin is soft and white, so don't you ever tell folks what you said tome, 'cause they won't see anything but a nice face."
Of course, Aunt Selina felt elated to hear such comforting words, butRuth gave her no time to meditate.
"Do you like the name I, as your god-mother, give you?" laughed themerry little girl.
"Yes, indeed, it is fine, but we must keep it a secret. Just fancy Sallyor Abe, or any of the servants, calling me 'Miss Flutey!'" And AuntSelina laughed aloud just as the door opened and Sally popped her headthrough the aperture. Seeing the happy faces and hearing the unusuallaughter, she immediately closed the door, without having been seen orheard. Out in the wide hall she lifted both arms high toward the ceilingand rolled her eyes devoutly upward as she murmured, "Praise be to theLud, dat dat little tree is come wif healin' in its leaves." After thisstrange remark, Sally hurried out to tell Abe of the miracle.
Aunt Selina, in spite of her age, felt a childish delight in having asecret with Ruth, and after a few moments said, "I shall have to callyou Fluff, and you must call me Flutey, I suppose, if we are to belongto the same Nest."
"Yes, that's the way," replied Ruth, clapping her hands softly. "Now,let me tell you all the wonderful things we did this summer."
Then began a recital of how the Blue Birds of Happy Times Nest started;about each member and her name; the nest in the old cherry-tree; howthey had earned money to bring some poor children from the city to spendthe hot weeks in the country; and, best of all, how they had interestedall of the citizens of Oakdale in helping a hundred poor city childrento spend a few weeks in the beautiful village of Oakdale.
At this moment a loud knock at the door caused Aunt Selina to sit up andcall out, "Come in!"
"Shall you hab lunch in de dinin' room, or serbed here?" said Sally.
"Lunch! Why, is it time--is it one o'clock?" gasped Miss Selina.
"Ya'as'm--pas dat hour, too," replied Sally, smiling broadly at Ruth,who returned the good-natured feeling.
"Well, well; I feel much better, Sally," admitted Aunt Selina. "Nothinglike having young folks around when one feels blue, eh? I guess you'dbetter bring the lunch tray here, and Miss Ruth and I will picnic thisnoon."
In a few moments the waitress brought in a huge tray while Sallyfollowed with a folding table which she placed by the side of the couch.
A joysome hour passed in "picnicking" the lunch, then Sally rang for themaid to remove the dishes. After she had gone, Sally turned to hermistress and, with the fami
liarity of an old servant, said, "Miss Rufieshore is de bestes tonic you ebber took. You'se et more lunch, MissSelina, dan I'se seen yo' et in six mont!"
Then whisking a few tiny crumbs from the couch afghan, Sally gathered upthe doilies and went out, smiling contentedly.
That afternoon worked a remarkable change in Aunt Selina. She forgot allabout herself and her misery while listening to her grand-niece's storyof sacrifice for others.
She listened attentively to every word, until Ruth concluded with thewords, "Now, we are planning some great work for our winter nest, butwe don't know just what we will choose."
So impressed was Aunt Selina with the movement started by the New YorkOrganization, that she determined to help the cause in every way shecould.
In the evening with the help of a cane and Sally, Aunt Selina managed toreach the dining-room for dinner. "For," said she, "it is a shame tokeep Ruth cooped up in my morning room all day long."
During dinner she marveled at the improvement in her physical conditionand worried lest her ailments return suddenly. But Ruth reassured her.
"No, indeed, Flutey, we have so much to do and plan while I am here,that you won't have time to think of getting sick again."
Aunt Selina looked dumbfounded for a moment.
"Ruth, do you suppose that's what ails me--nothing to do but think ofmyself all of the time?" said she.
"Flutey, not only with you, but with lots of folks!" replied Ruth,wisely. "You see, anyone who is busy and has something to do all thetime never gets sick, because they haven't time to worry 'boutthemselves if they feel a bit of pain. Why, this summer I saw lots ofbeginnings of sickness stopped just because everyone had to get throughtheir work for the city children. Even me: when mother told me thatfather--oh, oh--oh!" and Ruth doubled over her plate and giggledimmoderately.
"Now what ails you, child?" inquired Aunt Selina, smiling in sympathywith her guest's merry laugh.
"Oh, Aunt Selina, this goes to prove what I just said! Here I have beenwith you all day, so full of the story of our Nest and all we did, thatI forgot to feel sorry for myself. Why, think of it! Father is expectedhome to-night, and I'm not there! When your telegram came asking me tocome here, and mother told me father was expected the same day, I feltdreadfully bad about it, but mother said I might help the winter nest agreat deal by coming to show you how to fly, so I really made up my mindnot to feel sorry about not seeing father. And here I am all this time,forgetting my disappointment about leaving home to-day, and now,laughing over it. Don't you see?"
Aunt Selina nodded her head comprehendingly as she said, "Yes, I see!Yes, I see what has been my undoing all these years. Child, you havedone something for me that all my years have failed in showing me. Godbless you, Ruth, for coming, and when I tell your father about it hewill be proud of his little Blue Bird that brought such peace to me."
As she concluded, Aunt Selina's eyes were brimful of tears, but theywere tears of gratitude, and such tears always wash away much of ourstubborn selfishness.
Sally hovered about the table to be on hand to assist her querulousmistress if necessary and she, too, felt the effect of Ruth's words andsilently praised God for the blessing.
After Aunt Selina and Ruth were comfortably seated in the softeasy-chairs of the former's bedroom, Ruth asked permission to write theletters she had promised the Blue Birds at home. Aunt Selina noddedcheerfully, and sat watching the little girl write until her eyelidsdrowsed slowly over her eyes.
The first and most important letter was written to Ruth's dear fatherand mother. The next to Ned, and the third to all of the Blue Birds ofHappy Times Nest. Here, she wrote as she pleased and told them about hertrip, how interested Aunt Selina seemed to be, about the secret name shehad given the new Blue Bird and all of the fine things Aunt Selina wasgoing to do just as soon as plans could be talked over. As the letterdrew to a close, Ruth begged her friends to write every day and notundertake any important work until she came home.
The last letter took a long time to write and Aunt Selina was fullyawake before Ruth had finished.
"Laws, Child! Do you know the time? What would your mother say if sheknew I kept her daughter out of bed until after nine o'clock? If theletters are finished you must go straight to your room." And Aunt Selinarang for Sally.
That night as Ruth slept soundly, Aunt Selina lay thinking over all hergrand-niece had told her. As she thought of all her wasted years and ofall the wonderful good she might have done with her leisure time andwealth, she turned her face to the wall and shed bitter tears of regret.
Then recalling Ruth's advice to fill her mind with something good andhelpful, the old lady vowed to pick up the frayed ends of her life andask Ruth how to use her money and time to create some lasting good forothers. As she smiled contentedly over the idea of her grand-niece oftender years advising and helping her, an old lady of three score andten, the Bible text flashed into her mind--"And a little child shalllead them."
Then Aunt Selina fell into a restful, health-giving sleep such as shehad not had in years.