Pilgrim Village Mystery Read Free Page B

side of the green. The children wondered if Eric would be as friendly as he had been when they’d first met him. When he’d left them the night before he hadn’t seemed friendly at all.
    The Aldens were relieved to find that he was happy to see them. “Welcome!” Eric said cheerfully. “Ready to learn about printing?”
    â€œWe sure are!” said Henry.
    â€œFirst put these on so that you don’t get ink on your clothes.” Eric handed each of the children a large, heavy apron. “Today I’m printing posters to advertise a special harvest picnic this Saturday at noon on the green. There will be lots of games and prizes, and plenty of food, of course. But before we can start printing, we need to decide what the posters should say, and how they should look.”
    Eric set the children up at a table with some paper and pencils, while he talked to some visitors who had just come in. When at last the Aldens had agreed on the design, they showed it to Eric.
    You’re invited!
    HARVEST PICNIC ON THE GREEN
    Contests, games, prizes, and plenty of food
    Saturday at twelve o’clock
    Please come and enjoy the fun!
    â€œThat looks great,” Eric said. “Now for the next step.” He pulled out two large flat wooden cases. The cases were divided into lots of little compartments that were filled with metal blocks. Eric reached in the top case and took a block from the upper left-hand compartment. On one side of the block was the letter A. “You see, each of these blocks has a letter on it. This upper case holds the capital letters. The lower case holds the small letters.”
    â€œIs that why they’re called ‘upper case’ and ‘lower case’ letters?” Jessie asked.
    â€œYes, as a matter of fact, it is,” said Eric. “These are called blocks of type. You’ll take the type from these cases and lay them in this metal tray.” He showed them an empty metal tray on the counter. “First you’ll need a capital Y for ‘You’re’ and then a small o and a small u and so on. Once all of the type is arranged in this tray, you roll ink over the tray, and put the tray in the printing press.” He motioned to a large machine. “But I’ll show you how to do that later.”
    â€œIs this really how they printed all their newspapers and books and everything?” Henry asked.
    â€œYes,” Eric said. “Things were a lot harder then. But before you start arranging the letters in the tray, there’s one important thing you have to remember. The letters have to be put in backward.”
    â€œBackward!” Violet said.
    â€œLet me show you,” Eric said. He took a few pieces of type out of the cases, and laid them in the tray. “Know what that says?” The children leaned over to see. Eric had placed the lettersin the tray, and they were all backward. Then he inked the tray and put it in the press. After he’d printed a page, he showed it to the children.
    â€œThat’s my name!” Benny said proudly.
    â€œYes, it is,” Eric said. “To check that you’ve put the type in properly, you use a mirror. If the letters are the right way in the mirror, they’ll come out right on the paper. In colonial times, boys no older than Violet might have had a job like this. Do you know who Benjamin Franklin was?”
    â€œIs he the one who discovered electricity with a kite and a key?” Benny asked.
    â€œHe was indeed,” said Eric. “And he started off as an apprentice in his brother’s print shop doing the same kinds of things you’ll be doing.”
    For the rest of the morning the children laid the blocks of type in the tray. There were several different cases of type, large and small, fancy and plain. It was fun deciding how the poster should look.
    While the Aldens worked, more visitors came into the shop, and Eric explained what the children were