“I would be afraid of that dreadful looking knife!” shuddered Betty, standing at a safe distance and pointing to the wide blade of the paper cutter.
Then the children crowded about the stitcher while Uncle Ben showed the wonderful work the machine did.
The electric attachments had not yet been completed, so the demonstration of the machines had to be by gestures. But Uncle Ben was equal to it, and the children felt that they could almost see the machines running as they listened to his explanations.
“Well, Uncle Ben, I don’t see how we can start this work without you superintending us,” ventured Meredith.
“It all seemed simple enough when we were talking about printing a magazine, but this job is more than I can do,” admitted Jinks.
“I am at home with my little press, Uncle Ben, but these big fellows make me want to run away from the contract we made with you,” added Ned, seriously.
The Blue Birds and younger Bobolinks heard the older boys with anxious concern lest the entire plan should fail.
“I thought of just such a contingency and provided for it,” replied Uncle Ben, with his optimistic manner. “I realize that you all go to school and afternoons after school do not give you much time to experiment on these machines, so I found two young men who used to do good work for us who were pleased to come out here for a few weeks and show you boys how to do things. They won’t come until the galley proofs arrive, but then, they will help you get out the first issue and teach you everything there is to know about these machines. They will take them all apart and teach you how to put them together again. A machine is like a man’s valuable animal—if you pay no attention to its welfare, it does not last long enough to pay you for its keep.”
“We’ll look after our machinery all right, Uncle Ben,” agreed Ned, with the look of the workman who truly loves his tools.
“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.