“Why, Uncle Ben, that is exactly what we need to find our sick children for the farms, isn’t it?” said Ruth, happily.
Uncle Ben nodded his head and continued.
“Then, Mr. Stevens offered to have his solicitors try to secure some advertising for the magazine. His agency is one of the best in the city and I think his offer a fine one.”
At the idea of having advertisements appear in the magazine, the Blue Birds and Bobolinks looked at each other in surprise.
“We never thought of that!” ventured Ned.
“Sounds like real work, when you hear the words ‘solicitors’ and ‘advertisements,’ doesn’t it?” commented Jinks.
“I’ve been trying to make you understand from the first that this will mean work as well as pleasure,” insisted Uncle Ben.
“They’ll all wake up to that fact soon enough, Ben—go on with your story,” laughed Mr. Talmage.
“Mr. Wilson, who is connected with the Oakdale Paper Mills, then offered to donate enough paper to get out several months’ issues, so I accepted that offer with delight, thinking you could make use of Aunt Selina’s offer in some other way. Mr. Wilson is going to bring some samples of paper over to the Publishing House soon and let us make our selections. A man whom I just met offered to speak to the Manhattan Subscription Agency about taking subscriptions for you and giving the magazine a good position in their next catalogue.”
“So much good luck actually turned Uncle Ben’s head,” laughed Mr. Talmage, during a moment’s silence. “Why, he hardly knew what he went to the city for, and I had to guide him by the arm to show him the way to his office.”