ew mail-box. The Colonel bought
it--that is, he had it made to order, because there were no
ready-made boxes in the city, he said, big enough to hold
our mail when our advertisements come out, and I suppose
that is so. But it really is very large, and it has an
opening in it big enough to take in almost any size package.
We put it down-stairs by the door, and people come all the
way up the outside steps just to look at it. I don't know
what they think it is--perhaps a receiver of old clothes and
things for charity; at least, some must have thought so, for
there was a pair of little worn baby-shoes in it the other
day, and yesterday a hat. You see, it says 'The Whole
Family' on it in big black letters, and I suppose people
think it means contributions for all ages. I took the
baby-shoes to use as models, and the Colonel is wearing the
hat. It is pretty good and better than the one he had. Van
says if the paper fails we'll have to depend on our
mail-box for support.

"Of course, that was in fun, for the paper can't fail now.
Bates says he's already got contracts enough made and
promised to fill up nearly all the space in the first issue.
He says we must advertise more ourselves than we calculated
on, as that helps us to get ads in exchange, and I suppose
that is true; and then, as soon as our advertising is out,
we'll have money coming in right away to pay for it. That is
what they call 'cash terms.' I am learning a good deal about
business, and even Perny, who, as you know, was in business
once for ten years, is learning some things, too. You see,
the publishing business is different. I never realized it so
much before.

"We have lots of advice. People come in every day to tell us
how to run the paper, and yesterday a little boy about ten
years old walked in and said to Perny:

"'I'll tell you what you want in that paper: you want a
chapter every week that tells boys how to make things.'

"Wasn't it jolly? Perny is going to have it, too. Then, he's
going to have another one like it for girls, and
correspondence, and cooking receipts, and agriculture, and
puzzles, and games, and sciences, and school features,
besides all the stories and articles. I tell you, we've got
our hands full--at least, Perny has, and, of course