“There are other ways, Bobby,” Mother Blossom assured him brightly.  “I’m sure the other children will want to help when they hear about the Jordans.  Why don’t you, and some of the boys and girls in your class, give a little fair?  We’ll all help, won’t we, Daddy?”

“But I don’t know how to give a fair,” objected Bobby.

CHAPTER X

WORKING FOR THE FAIR

“I do,” said Meg, turning around on the piano bench.  “You have tables, and on ’em things to sell, and everybody comes.  Where could we have the fair, Mother?”

“I think here in the house,” answered Mother Blossom thoughtfully.  “We live near enough to the center of town for people to get here easily.”

“But how do you have a fair?” persisted Bobby.  “Where do we get things to sell?  Can we do it all ourselves?”

“Certainly you can,” declared Father Blossom.  “You want the money to be your own gift, so you boys and girls must do the work.  We older folk will help with advice.  Mother can tell you all about it.  Her church society gives two fairs every year.”

Mother Blossom smiled as Bobby looked at her expectantly.

“You want to know how we do it?” she asked.  “Well, first we choose our committees and plan the tables.  There is usually a refreshment table; a table for fancy work, aprons, bags, and pretty handkerchiefs; if the fair is held in summer, we have a flower table; then a grab-bag table for the little people.  After we plan how many tables we will have, the committees set out to collect the things to be sold.  They go to the baker and ask for cake donations; and to ladies and ask them to bake cakes; they ask other ladies to make aprons and bags; Mr. Barber, the grocer, usually gives us something for the canned goods table.  You see, the idea is to ask people to give all these things and then whatever they are sold for can go outright to the purpose for which the fair is held.”

“Like new carpets for the church,” put in Meg wisely.

“Yes, new carpets for the church, or new books for the Sunday-school library,” agreed Mother Blossom.  “Your fair will be for the Jordans, and the money you raise will help them through the winter.”

Bobby was silent a long time, puzzling over the idea of a fair.  Before his bed hour came he had decided that perhaps that was the best way to raise money, and anyway he would talk it over with the boys at school.

“I’ve been thinking,” announced Mother Blossom at the breakfast table the next morning.  “As our living-room isn’t very large, I think three tables will be all we can comfortably arrange.  As an extra attraction for the fair, why don’t you give a little play?”

“A stuffed animal play,” suggested Aunt Polly mysteriously.  “If the children like the idea, don’t you say another word.  I’ll make the costumes and drill them.”