CHAPTER XV
HOW THE MAGAZINE WENT OUT
Before nine o'clock that night the magazines had all been wrapped, readyfor Ike to take to the post-office. The children were just as eager tocontinue the work, but Mrs. Talmage said that nine o'clock was time togo 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 afterschool, and many of the evening hours, to finish the rest of themagazines. Everyone had decided that ten thousand would be enough forthe first issue, for it took so long to wrap each copy that no extratime could be given to printing.
The first week of November results began to appear. One day the BlueBirds came to the Winter Nest and found several letters lying on thetable, 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 laughedat her expression.
"Let's open them and see!" said sensible Ruth.
Mrs. Talmage entered the room just then and the letters were given herto open and read aloud.
"Maybe they are subscriptions," suggested Mrs. Talmage, as she slipped apaper-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 Birdslooked at each other and then at Mrs. Talmage.
"I think we will have to invite the Bobolinks to a conference to-day andtalk this matter over," said Mother Wings.
Norma was sent to the Publishing House to invite the boys to be presentat the meeting that afternoon at five. As it was four-thirty, the boyshurried to wash their hands and pull down their shirt sleeves, foralmost all of them had taken off their coats and rolled up theirsleeves.
The meeting proved to be very important in the judgment of thechildren, for the letters were found to contain money orders and checkswhich had to be deposited in some bank.
After looking over the papers, Ned said, "We must sign these and sendback a receipt, eh, mother?"
"Yes, and we must select some bank in which to place our account; shallwe say the Oakdale Trust Company?" said Mrs. Talmage.
So that was agreed upon and the secretary told to stop at the bank inthe 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 atall the money we have already with no list."
"But you forget we have really no costs to pay at present so all that ispaid in is profit. But the city publishers have heavy expenses to payout of all their income," explained Mrs. Talmage.
"Uncle Ben says that hardly any magazine published could pay itsexpenses on the subscriptions only; it is the advertising that pays forthe 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 ofpaper and postage are over," added Meredith.
"You boys practised that part of the work, so why don't you try and callupon some big firms and ask for contracts?" asked Dot.
"How do you know we practised?" questioned Ned, looking at the BlueBirds, who started giggling as they recalled the visit to the loft overthe carriage house.
"Ho, didn't you?" insisted Dot.
"No one but we boys knew it--we kept the doors closed while we tried tosee 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 thepapers--that will help so much!" sighed Betty.
"Don't be impatient, little girl," said Mrs. Talmage. "Remember, wehave only just begun, and I think there have been marvelous stepstaken."
"And when it once gets started, the subscription list will grow veryrapidly," added Aunt Selina.
And so it proved. In a few weeks' time the letters containing checks andmoney 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 hetelephoned Uncle Ben to send out a competent filing clerk; in a few daysa nice young girl of about eighteen arrived and took charge of all themail, and Mrs. Talmage heaved a deep sigh of relief.
Uncle Ben had made it a custom to visit his brother's family everyweek-end since the inception of the magazine, and one Saturday hearrived unusually early--in time for lunch.
"Ned, can you call a meeting of the B. B. & B. B.'s at the PublishingHouse for two o'clock?" asked Uncle Ben.
"The Bobolinks will be there anyway, but I am not so sure about theBlue Birds," said Ned, looking at Ruth.
"We had something to talk over in the Winter Nest, but we can postponeit until afterward," said Ruth.
So at two o'clock all of the children were gathered about Uncle Ben tohear the news he had to tell them.
Uncle Ben made a great fuss clearing his throat as if in preparation foran oration, then took a packet of letters from his pocket.
"The sample issue of your magazine made such a stir in variouspublishing circles, that one of the officers of the Publishers'Association asked me Thursday night who was back of all this businessthat a lot of youngsters had started down at Oakdale.
"I didn't reply right away, and a man sitting near me said, 'Oh, somefolks, probably, who have a smattering of how to do printing!'
"Some of my friends laughed hilariously, for they thought it a good jokeon me, but the President of the association was not satisfied.
"'This is no amateurish work, Mackensie,' he said; 'here is a copy ofthe magazine and I tell you it can compete with any juvenile publicationin the country. Why, man, the names of some of the contributors arefamiliar to me, for I know of offers made to induce these same writersto 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--hetold me about it years ago.'
"The other men laughed at the explanation, but my friend looked at meand said, 'Talmage, what do _you_ know about it?'
"Then I said, 'My niece and nephew belong to the Blue Birds andBobolinks that started the poor children's outing at Oakdale, lastsummer. They have become so interested in the work that they proposeraising enough money this winter to take over a farm of a few thousandacres 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 thestory in detail.
"Well, B. B. & B. B.'s--do you want to know the result of thatmeeting?"
The children shouted and begged to be told at once, so Uncle Bencontinued with evident pleasure in the telling.
"Those great publishers talked for hours of ways and means in which tohelp along your good work. Some promised to interest prominent peoplethey knew, and others offered to insert advertising cards in their ownpublications to tell about the magazine and its purpose. Almost everyone of them offered to make special clubbing offers with their ownmagazines to induce readers to subscribe for yours.
"Now, these letters are the results of some of the promises already keptby these men. I will read them to you."
Uncle Ben then proceeded to read aloud the letters from prominent peopleand philanthropists who had responded to the call made by friends. Theycommended the interest shown by the younger generation and hoped thesympathetic work done for the sick and poverty-stricken little ones ofthe 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 ofchecks and
handed them over to Ned.
Ned saw the figure written on the face of the first check on top andheld 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 hundreddollars--subscriptions to be sent to hospitals. The next one----" andNed 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 thousanddollars, subscriptions to be sent to homes and orphanages.
"And here's another for five hundred dollars from Harriet Rowld. Thenthere's--let me see! One--two--three--four--for a hundred dollars eachfor cripples' homes."
When Ned finished the children were too surprised to say a word, butUncle Ben spoke for them.
"Well, Chicks--I mean Birds--you see that any time you grow weary ofworking out this scheme there will be no difficulty in selling thebusiness for cash. Any wide-awake publisher will jump over the moon toget 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 severalof the children.
"If every one of you feel the same about this matter, why not pass aresolution that we will never sell out this business for mere commercialreasons?" suggested Uncle Ben.
It was instantly agreed upon and the resolution made a part of theby-laws of the company.
"Now, for a social proposition," said Uncle Ben, smiling in hispossession 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 dothis you would have to have several men working during your schoolhours, so I thought it best to ask the men already here to wait forfurther orders. With all of this money on hand you can easily pay theirsalary and that of another good man that I should like to send out hereto boss the work. Ike says he can fix up some rooms in the loft overheadand the men can take their meals with him. The two men who are workinghere 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 largenumber of magazines can be printed for Christmas. You boys worked everymoment 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 nextmonth's magazine.
"You said 'social,' but I don't see anything social in having the menhelp with the work," grumbled Don.
"Now that you will have the men to help with the work you will have timeto think of the social side of the plan I am going to suggest," repliedUncle Ben, winking at Don to cheer him up. "So many of my friends in NewYork have heard of this B. B. & B. B. Company that I am constantlyanswering 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 andspare me so many extra words and time, to say nothing of wear and tearon my vocal cords."
"I know you've got a lovely surprise to tell us--I can tell it in yourvoice!" 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 tellme whether it is," said Uncle Ben, trying to look troubled over thedoubt.
"Out with it, Uncle Ben!" laughed Ned.
"Well, if I must, I must!" groaned Uncle Ben. "I have discovered a veryamusing play that has Saturday matinees. Of course, I suppose Birdscould get into a theatre, couldn't they? Well, if we went to see theshow in the afternoon and then went to a hotel where we could have adining-room all to ourselves and give a little party to all of myfriends, it would save me so much trouble for the future."
Mere words failed to express the excitement and delight of the childrenas they fully realized what Uncle Ben meant.
"Oh," said Betty, "I've never been to a theatre in my life--and tothink 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 tocover 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 canarrange it for that time. I will invite my friends to be at our party atsix o'clock sharp, for afterward we will have to come home on the nineo'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, ashe understood Ned's ambition to meet them and his doubt of having thedesire fulfilled.
"What must we wear?" asked Norma.
"The prettiest that you have, for I want to show off my publishingcompany 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 totable?"
Then everyone began to tell of the party to be given in New York, andMr. Talmage seemed very much surprised.
"If that is the case, you will all have to do your very best to have afine Christmas magazine so that the friends you meet in New York willwant to come to another party at some other time. Perhaps if themagazine was very, very attractive they would feel so proud of beingacquainted with you that they would take the trouble to come all the wayout to Oakdale to have a party this winter," ventured Mr. Talmage.
"Wouldn't it be fun to invite them all here at the Christmas Holidaysand give them a real country Christmas tree with Uncle Ben for SantaClaus!" 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-Julytree," 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 NewYorkers will stay away if you tell them all the fun you propose givingthem," laughed Uncle Ben.
"But, first, let us have our party with you, Uncle Ben, then we can talkabout the Christmas one," advised Ned.
Families in Oakdale were entertained that Saturday night by hearing thechildren tell of the plans made by Uncle Ben for the social side of theB. B. & B. B.'s life. Many were the dreams of all the fun to be had whenthat 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 theparty. Invitations on grey paper, printed in blue ink, with a flight ofbirds shadowed across the sheet was the suggestion of Aunt Selina. Thefavors for the table and the tokens presented for speech-making weresuggested by Mrs. Talmage, while the dinner and decorations were plannedby Mr. Talmage and Uncle Ben.
Much fun was the result of the party in New York. The guests acceptedthe B. B. & B. B.'s invitation to have a Christmas Tree at thePublishing House with great eagerness. But it will take another book totell about everything that happened.
This book, called "THE BLUE BIRDS' UNCLE BEN," is the third of theseries.
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