the americanization of edward bok-第1节

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The　Americanization　of　Edward　Bok
The　Autobiography　of　a　Dutch　Boy　Fifty　Years　After


by　Edward　William　Bok




To　the　American　woman　I　owe　much；　but　to　two　women　I　owe　more；　　　My　mother　and　my　wife。　And　to　them　I　dedicate　this　account　of　the　boy　to　whom　one　gave　birth　and　brought　to　manhood　and　the　other　blessed　with　all　a　home　and　family　may　mean。





An　Explanation

This　book　was　to　have　been　written　in　1914；　when　I　foresaw　some　leisure　to　write　it；　for　I　then　intended　to　retire　from　active　editorship。　But　the　war　came；　an　entirely　new　set　of　duties　commanded；　and　the　project　was　laid　aside。

Its　title　and　the　form；　however；　were　then　chosen。　By　the　form　I　refer　particularly　to　the　use　of　the　third　person。　I　had　always　felt　the　most　effective　method　of　writing　an　autobiography；　for　the　sake　of　a　better　perspective；　was　mentally　to　separate　the　writer　from　his　subject　by　this　device。

Moreover；　this　method　came　to　me　very　naturally　in　dealing　with　the　Edward　Bok；　editor　and　publicist；　whom　I　have　tried　to　describe　in　this　book；　because；　in　many　respects；　he　has　had　and　has　been　a　personality　apart　from　my　private　self。　I　have　again　and　again　found　myself　watching　with　intense　amusement　and　interest　the　Edward　Bok　of　this　book　at　work。　I　have；　in　turn；　applauded　him　and　criticised　him；　as　I　do　in　this　book。　Not　that　I　ever　considered　myself　bigger　or　broader　than　this　Edward　Bok：　simply　that　he　was　different。　His　tastes；　his　outlook；　his　manner　of　looking　at　things　were　totally　at　variance　with　my　own。　In　fact；　my　chief　difficulty　during　Edward　Bok's　directorship　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　was　to　abstain　from　breaking　through　the　editor　and　revealing　my　real　self。　Several　times　I　did　so；　and　each　time　I　saw　how　different　was　the　effect　from　that　when　the　editorial　Edward　Bok　had　been　allowed　sway。　Little　by　little　I　learned　to　subordinate　myself　and　to　let　him　have　full　rein。

But　no　relief　of　my　life　was　so　great　to　me　personally　as　his　decision　to　retire　from　his　editorship。　My　family　and　friends　were　surprised　and　amused　by　my　intense　and　obvious　relief　when　he　did　so。　Only　to　those　closest　to　me　could　I　explain　the　reason　for　the　sense　of　absolute　freedom　and　gratitude　that　I　felt。

Since　that　time　my　feelings　have　been　an　interesting　study　to　myself。　There　are　no　longer　two　personalities。　The　Edward　Bok　of　whom　I　have　written　has　passed　out　of　my　being　as　completely　as　if　he　had　never　been　there；　save　for　the　records　and　files　on　my　library　shelves。　It　is　easy；　therefore；　for　me　to　write　of　him　as　a　personality　apart：　in　fact；　I　could　not　depict　him　from　any　other　point　of　view。　To　write　of　him　in　the　first　person；　as　if　he　were　myself；　is　impossible；　for　he　is　not。

The　title　suggests　my　principal　reason　for　writing　the　book。　Every　life　has　some　interest　and　significance；　mine；　perhaps；　a　special　one。　Here　was　a　little　Dutch　boy　unceremoniously　set　down　in　America　unable　to　make　himself　understood　or　even　to　know　what　persons　were　saying；　his　education　was　extremely　limited；　practically　negligible；　and　yet；　by　some　curious　decree　of　fate；　he　was　destined　to　write；　for　a　period　of　years；　to　the　largest　body　of　readers　ever　addressed　by　an　American　editorthe　circulation　of　the　magazine　he　edited　running　into　figures　previously　unheard　of　in　periodical　literature。　He　made　no　pretense　to　style　or　even　to　composition：　his　grammar　was　faulty；　as　it　was　natural　it　should　be；　in　a　language　not　his　own。　His　roots　never　went　deep；　for　the　intellectual　soil　had　not　been　favorable　to　their　growth；yet；　it　must　be　confessed；　he　achieved。

But　how　all　this　came　about；　how　such　a　boy；　with　every　disadvantage　to　overcome；　was　able；　apparently；　to　〃make　good〃this　possesses　an　interest　and　for　some；　perhaps；　a　value　which；　after　all；　is　the　only　reason　for　any　book。


EDWARD　W。　BOK　MERION；　PENNSYLVANIA；　1920






CONTENTS

An　Explanation　An　Introduction　of　Two　Persons　I。　The　First　Days　in　America　II。　The　First　Job：　Fifty　Cents　a　Week　III。　The　Hunger　for　Self…Education　IV。　A　Presidential　Friend　and　a　Boston　Pilgrimage　V。　Going　to　the　Theatre　with　Longfellow　VI。　Phillips　Brooks's　Books　and　Emerson's　Mental　Mist　VII。　A　Plunge　into　Wall　Street　VIII。　Starting　a　Newspaper　Syndicate　IX。　Association　with　Henry　Ward　Beecher　X。　The　First　〃Woman's　Page；〃　〃Literary　Leaves；〃　and　Entering　Scribner's　XI。　The　Chances　for　Success　XII。　Baptism　Under　Fire　XIII。　Publishing　Incidents　and　Anecdotes　XIV。　Last　Years　in　New　York　XV。　Successful　Editorship　XVI。　First　Years　as　a　Woman's　Editor　XVII。　Eugene　Field's　Practical　Jokes　XVIII。　Building　Up　a　Magazine　XIX。　Personality　Letters　XX。　Meeting　a　Reverse　or　Two　XXI。　A　Signal　Piece　of　Constructive　Work　XXII。　An　Adventure　in　Civic　and　Private　Art　XXIII。　Theodore　Roosevelt's　Influence　XXIV。　Theodore　Roosevelt's　Anonymous　Editorial　Work　XXV。　The　President　and　the　Boy　XXVI。　The　Literary　Back…Stairs　XXVII。　Women's　Clubs　and　Woman　Suffrage　XXVIII。　Going　Home　with　Kipling；　and　as　a　Lecturer　XXIX。　An　Excursion　into　the　Feminine　Nature　XXX。　Cleaning　Up　the　Patent…Medicine　and　Other　Evils　XXXI。　Adventures　in　Civics　XXXII。　A　Bewildered　Bok　XXXIII。　How　Millions　of　People　Are　Reached　XXXIV。　A　War　Magazine　and　War　Activities　XXXV。　At　the　Battle…Fronts　in　the　Great　War　XXXVI。　The　End　of　Thirty　Years'　Editorship　XXXVII。　The　Third　Period　XXXVIII。　Where　America　Fell　Short　with　Me　XXXIX。　What　I　Owe　to　America　Edward　William　Bok：　Biographical　Data　The　Expression　of　a　Personal　Pleasure







An　Introduction　of　Two　Persons

IN　WHOSE　LIVES　ARE　FOUND　THE　SOURCE　AND　MAINSPRING　OF　SOME　OF　THE　EFFORTS　OF　THE　AUTHOR　OF　THIS　BOOK　IN　HIS　LATER　YEARS

Along　an　island　in　the　North　Sea；　five　miles　from　the　Dutch　Coast；　stretches　a　dangerous　ledge　of　rocks　that　has　proved　the　graveyard　of　many　a　vessel　sailing　that　turbulent　sea。　On　this　island　once　lived　a　group　of　men　who；　as　each　vessel　was　wrecked；　looted　the　vessel　and　murdered　those　of　the　crew　who　reached　shore。　The　government　of　the　Netherlands　decided　to　exterminate　the　island　pirates；　and　for　the　job　King　William　selected　a　young　lawyer　at　The　Hague。

〃I　want　you　to　clean　up　that　island；〃　was　the　royal　order。　It　was　a　formidable　job　for　a　young　man　of　twenty…odd　years。　By　royal　proclamation　he　was　made　mayor　of　the　island；　and　within　a　year；　a　court　of　law　being　established；　the　young　attorney　was　appointed　judge；　and　in　that　dual　capacity　he　〃cleaned　up〃　the　island。

The　young　man　now　decided　to　settle　on　the　island；　and　began　to　look　around　for　a　home。　It　was　a　grim　place；　barren　of　tree　or　living　green　of　any　kind；　it　was　as　if　a　man　had　been　exiled　to　Siberia。　Still；　argued　the　young　mayor；　an　ugly　place　is　ugly　only　because　it　is　not　beautiful。　And　beautiful　he　determined　this　island　should　be。

One　day　the　young　mayor…judge　called　together　his　council。　〃We　must　have　trees；〃　he　said；　〃we　can　make　this　island　a　spot　of　beauty　if　we　will！〃　But　the　practical　seafaring　men　demurred；　the　little　money　they　had　was　needed　for　matters　far　more　urgent　than　trees。

〃Very　well；〃　was　the　mayor's　decisionand　little　they　guessed　what　the　words　were　destined　to　mean〃I　will　do　it　myself。〃　And　that　year　he　planted　one　hundred　trees；　the　first　the　island　had　ever　seen。

〃Too　cold；〃　said　the　islanders；　〃the　severe　north　winds　and　storms　will　kill　them　all。〃

〃Then　I　will　plant　more；〃　said　the　unperturbed　mayor。　And　for　the　fifty　years　that　he　lived　on　the　island　he　did　so。　He　planted　trees　each　year；　and；　moreover；　he　had　deeded　to　the　island　government　land　which　he　turned　into　public　squares　and　parks；　and　where　each　spring　he　set　out　shrubs　and　plants。

Moistened　by　the　salt　mist　the　trees　did　not　wither；　but　grew　prodigiously。　In　all　that　expanse　of　turbulent　seaand　only　those　who　have　seen　the　North　Sea　in　a　storm　know　how　turbulent　it　can　bethere　was　not　a　foot　of　ground　on　which　the　birds；　storm…driven　across　the　water…waste；　could　rest　in　their　flight。　Hundreds　of　dead　birds　often　covered　the　surface　of　the　sea。　Then　one　day　the　trees　had　grown　tall　enough　to　look　over　the　sea；　and；　spent　and　driven；　the　first　birds　came　and　rested　in　their　leafy　shelter。　And　others　came　and　found　protection；　and　gave　their　gratitude　vent　in　song。　Within　a　few　years　so　many　birds　had　discovered　the　trees　in　this　new　island　home　that　they　attracted　the　attention　not　only　of　the　native　islanders　but　also　of　the　people　on　the　shore　five　miles　distant；　and　the　island　became　famous　as　the　home　of　the　rarest　and　most　beautiful　birds。　So　grateful　were　the　birds　for　their　resting…place　that　they　chose　one　end　of　the　island　as　a　special　spot　for　the　laying　of　their　eggs　and　the　raising　of　their　young；　and　they　fairly　peopled　it。　It　was　not　long　before　ornithologists　from　various　parts　of　the　world　came　to　〃Eggland；〃　as　the　farthermost　point　of　the　island　came　to　be　known；　to　see　the　marvellous　sight；　not　of　thousands　but　of　hundreds　of　thousands　of　bird…eggs。

A　pair　of　storm…driven　nightingales　had　now　found　the　island　and　mated　there；　their　wonderful　notes　thrilled　even　the　souls　of　the　natives；　and　as　dusk　fell　upon　the　seabound　strip　of　land　the　women　and　children　would　come　to　〃the　square〃　and　listen　to　the　evening　notes　of　the　birds　of　golden　son