hink 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 assistance; 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 institutions--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 advertisement. 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 shoul