The Blue Birds' Winter Nest Part 14

"I'm sure you will, and I hope the Blue Birds will have as much pride in turning out commendable articles for us to print," added Uncle Ben, looking at Mrs. Talmage.

"Oh, Uncle Ben, there's one question I want to ask--may we each sign our own name to our page or must we make up a pretend name?" asked Ruth.

"Why, sign your very own name, of course; that is one way of making you keep up to the mark. If you only had a pretend name on your page you might get careless and say, 'Oh, no one knows who it is, anyway, so I don't care if this story isn't as good as it ought to be.'"

Mrs. Talmage and Aunt Selina smiled, for they could see the wisdom of the remark.

"I guess my father will be proud to see my name in a magazine," boasted Dot Starr.

"All depends on what you tack your name to, Dot," laughed Meredith.

"It'll be fine, all right!" exclaimed Dot, nodding her head emphatically.

"Shall we have our names at the top or at the bottom of the pages, Ben?"

asked Mrs. Talmage.

"Oh, please, Uncle Ben, do put them at the _top_! I am afraid no one will stop to read our names if you have them at the bottom," worried little Betty.

Everyone laughed, but Uncle Ben a.s.sured her that the name would be placed directly under the name of the article.

Then, while the Blue Birds watched the boys placing type in the cases, Uncle Ben sat down beside Mrs. Talmage and had a quiet talk about affairs in general.

In concluding he said, "Now don't you worry if the children should neglect a page now and then, for I can turn in heaps of good stories and articles any time we may need them."

"Oh, these children are so reliable that they would rather do without food or sleep than neglect anything that promises funds for next summer's farms," returned Mrs. Talmage.

"Glad to hear it, and hope they keep it up. Now, what pages have you provided for each month--and have you any to spare for some prominent writers who are friends of mine and feel deeply interested in this venture?" asked Uncle Ben.

"Oh, yes!" replied Mrs. Talmage. "We have seven pages taken by the Blue Birds and four by the Bobolinks. Then there is a story Aunt Selina has been thinking of writing, and a page for music that her friend in New York will contribute. Mrs. Catlin promised to give us some tale of adventure each month and that will take two pages. So, let me see--that takes up, in all, sixteen pages. How many pages shall we have in the magazine?"

"About forty-eight is the usual size for such a paper," replied Uncle Ben, figuring out Mrs. Talmage's number of pages and making a memorandum of the balance remaining for use.

"Gracious! then we will have to find much more ma.n.u.script than I thought," worried Mrs Talmage.

"No, I do not think so--that is what I want to find out to-day. A very good friend of mine who had charge of Field's Museum for four years, so heartily endorsed this plan that he offered to supply a page article on plant life each month. His name alone is valuable to a paper, and it will certainly give weight to our magazine. Then, besides him, a very close friend, who has been connected with a prominent book concern for more than twenty years, called me up to say that this idea was just what he has been hoping for. Both he and his wife are eager to a.s.sist in some way. I suggested that they supply a page on bird life and give us some valuable hints about our feathered friends. This man has published numerous books on the subject of birds and is just the one to speak with authority. The moment I mentioned it, he accepted my invitation; so we have two renowned writers for most interesting and instructive pages each month," said Uncle Ben.

"Why, how wonderful!" exclaimed Aunt Selina, who had been silent during the conversation. "I don't see how you ever accomplish such miracles!"

Mrs. Talmage looked at Uncle Ben and said, laughingly, "Maybe it's because we never take 'no' for an answer. We keep at an idea until it is hammered into everyone's heart and mind."

"And the moment our friends have it well hammered in they get so interested in succeeding that others are sought by them and the same story hammered into another head and heart," added Uncle Ben.

"Well, I'm hammered and rooted in the work, and am anxious to have friends in it, too. Is that the way you do?" asked Aunt Selina.

"That's just it! and before anyone else knows what's going on, dozens of folks are working on the same idea," replied Mrs. Talmage.

"Mary said something about a story that you wished to contribute, Aunt Selina--what is it?" asked Uncle Ben.

"An experience I had in the Civil War when I was visiting my old school chum, Rebecca Crudup. You have never heard any of my tales of that visit, but I a.s.sure you they are exciting."

"And you were there! Why, Aunt Selina, your ma.n.u.script would be valuable to any magazine! I wish you would let me read it before you turn it over to the Blue Birds," said Uncle Ben eagerly, the business instinct for new material for his magazine pus.h.i.+ng the Blue Birds' magazine into the background.

"You may see it after it is published in the children's paper," quietly replied Aunt Selina.

Uncle Ben took the rebuke in the right spirit, and said, "Is your friend alive to-day?"

"She was until last year, but her daughter is the musician I wish to get 'rooted' in this work for a music page. I haven't her studio address, or I would have written to her about this."

"Give me her name and the last address you knew of, and I will locate her as soon as I get back to the city," offered Uncle Ben.

Uncle Ben wrote the name and late address in a book then turned to the ladies with a suggestion.

"Aunt Selina's story will surely take more than the two pages you spoke of, so why not make a serial story of her Civil War experience?"

"Splendid! That is just the thing," cried Mrs. Talmage.

"I could make it as long as you wanted it to run, for Rebecca visited me after the war and told me plenty of her wild adventures after I returned home from the South. Why, my coachman, Abe, was one of the Crudup slaves. He says they all stuck close to the family, for they loved them and wanted to remain, but Mr. Crudup lost most of his wealth in the war and had no place or means for so many servants," related Miss Selina.

The children had made a thorough inspection of the machinery and type by this time and had joined the grown-ups.

"What was that you were telling mother, Aunt Selina?" asked Ned, who overheard the word "war" and was interested.

"Why, we just discovered that Aunt Selina had a very exciting time in the South during the Civil War and she is going to write it up for your magazine," explained Uncle Ben.

"Oh, goody, goody!" exclaimed a chorus of voices.

"It's strange that you never told us any of those stories, Aunt Selina,"

ventured Mrs. Talmage.

"Oh, it all happened so long ago, dearie, that I never thought anyone would be interested. Besides, it turns to a page of my life that I always wanted to keep closed," sighed Aunt Selina.

The others, respecting her reticence, changed the subject. Uncle Ben smiled at her and made a comforting remark.

"Aunt Selina, when we finish our first year's work I am going to write a most interesting treatise and call it, 'Aunt Selina's Recipes for Youth.'"

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Just what I said," replied he, laughing. "Since you have taken an interest in this work you have grown years and years younger in looks and actions."

"Ben, you're making fun of me!" declared Aunt Selina.

"No, he's not, Aunt Selina; you really are looking fine," said Mrs.

Talmage.

"Aunt Selina, isn't that what I prescribed for you at Happy Hills?"

cried Ruth, exultantly.

"Yes, Fluffy, you did, and all the glory of this old conquest belongs to you," admitted Aunt Selina, patting the little girl upon the head.