"Ned will be walking in my footsteps soon, won"t he?" said Uncle Ben, as Ruth concluded.
Before Ruth could reply her mother came out to welcome the visitor and tell him of Aunt Selina"s presence.
"Aunt Selina! You don"t say so! Why, I haven"t seen her since my graduation from college," remarked Uncle Ben, in pleased surprise.
"She is in her room dressing for dinner," said Mrs. Talmage. "You will find a great change working in her. Why, just think of her offer of Happy Hills for the poor children next summer." And she proceeded to tell the story of Aunt Selina"s desire to help the Blue Bird work.
"Now that Uncle Ben is here, maybe he can help us plan some way to earn the money for next summer," suggested Ruth.
"I believe you can! What we need is to find some way of reaching the right children, and then to start some work that will bring us in a regular income during the winter, for it will take a heap of money to run a large place like Happy Hills with several hundred starved little children living there," admitted Mrs. Talmage.
"As a man who is so mixed up in publishing, you would naturally expect me to know some way out of your troubles, eh?" laughed Uncle Ben. "Well, well, let me think it out."
At that moment the dinner bell rang and no further opportunity was given for discussing ways and means.
So absorbing was the theme, however, that talk soon drifted around to the subject of farms, work and plans.
"You can get a list of names of poor children at the Bureau of Charity,"
said Uncle Ben.
"That only records names of families who will apply for a.s.sistance; but the ones like the Ferris family, never are heard from in this way. Those are the children we want," said Mrs. Talmage.
"When I return to the city I will see if there is any way of getting a list like you want. As for inst.i.tutions--you can find all of the asylums and homes in the New York Directory. From them you can select numbers of crippled or sick children," suggested Uncle Ben.
"Ben, do you believe circulars are a good means of letting people know what you want?" asked Mrs. Talmage.
"I can"t say that I do. In my experience I have found that a circular letter meets the same end as an undesirable advertis.e.m.e.nt. Most of them are thrown into the waste basket."
"We need philanthropic women to help us next summer. Mrs. Starr offered me her woods at Oakwood if her family goes to Maine, and Mrs. Catlin wishes to rent the Mason farm for children. So now, with Happy Hills on our list, we will need just the right kind who will love the work with us," said Mrs. Talmage.
"Better send someone to visit the women you hear about," advised Mr.
Talmage.
"But I need to find the women first," returned Mrs. Talmage, plaintively.
"What"s the matter with the _Chirp_? Can"t we print a story in that and mail it to a list of folks in New York?" asked Ned.
"That sounds good to me! I should say the _Chirp_ would do the work better than a letter or circular," said Uncle Ben.
"Yes, it does seem like a fine suggestion," admitted Mrs. Talmage. "We will talk it over this evening, Ned."
"Why, when the _Chirp_ comes to my office," said Uncle Ben, "I generally drop all of my important work until I see what new scheme the children have worked up. I sit back and enjoy every word there."
"Maybe that is because your nephew edits it--sort of family pride in one who is following in your footsteps," teased Mr. Talmage.
"Not a bit of it! It is because the lad is original enough to fill a gap, and persistent enough to keep a good thing going. I haven"t the least idea but that the Blue Birds would never have been heard of outside of their little Nest if it hadn"t been for Ned and his _Chirp_,"
commended Uncle Ben.
"We are all certain of that," a.s.sented Mrs. Talmage.
"And we are very grateful to Ned for all he has done to help us along,"
added Ruth, smiling at her proud brother.
"Mother, you said you wanted to speak to Uncle Ben after dinner, but may I have him alone for a few moments before you get hold of him?" asked Ned, in a worried manner, as if Uncle Ben would be used up if the ladies talked to him first.
Everyone laughed, and Mrs. Talmage said, "Why, certainly, Son, if Uncle Ben is courageous enough to trust himself to your hands."
"I"m shaking in my boots already," said Uncle Ben, "for I"m sure some dark plot will be uncovered."
"Just wait and see!" laughed Ned, as he excused himself and ran to his den.
As the rest of the family rose to leave the table, Uncle Ben said in an aside to Mr. Talmage, "I believe that this farm idea will require a regular organization to take proper charge of its affairs. Just a few ladies and children cannot handle so important a task."
"I think you are right, Ben," said Mr. Talmage.
Ned was waiting for his uncle as he came down the hall, and catching hold of his hand, dragged him into his sanctum where the _Chirp_ was printed each week.
Uncle Ben sat down in the one arm-chair and waited while Ned locked the door and pulled down every window shade.
"This is a great secret, you know," explained Ned.
CHAPTER IV
THE BOBOLINK BOYS FOUNDED
"Now, Uncle Ben, we can make ourselves at home," said Ned, as he sat upon a box in front of his uncle.
"Oh, maybe you"d like to smoke, Uncle Ben?" continued Ned, recalling that most men liked an after-dinner smoke. "I shall never use tobacco myself, 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 health with tobacco, and not interfere?" laughed he.
"Oh, no, you know I didn"t mean it that way, although it did sound funny, didn"t it?" replied Ned.
"Well, Son, I never smoke, either. I believe a man is a better thinker and cooler business man without it," said Uncle Ben. "But, tell me, what is the tremendous secret that made you lock the door and pull the blinds?"
"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 Starr boys 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. But they are planning so much for next summer that it will take a regular printer 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 hinder us from getting up a club for boys under twelve?" We all thought it would be great, so we started, and have the name, but not the plans.
What do you think of it?" asked Ned.