the americanization of edward bok-第19节

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Edward　believed　he　could　convince　editors　of　the　public　interest　in　a　newsy；　readable　New　York　literary　letter；　and　he　prevailed　upon　the　editor　of　the　New　York　Star　to　allow　him　to　supplement　the　book　reviews　of　George　Parsons　Lathrop　in　that　paper　by　a　column　of　literary　chat　called　〃Literary　Leaves。〃　For　a　number　of　weeks　he　continued　to　write　this　department；　and　confine　it　to　the　New　York　paper；　feeling　that　he　needed　the　experience　for　the　acquirement　of　a　readable　style；　and　he　wanted　to　be　sure　that　he　had　opened　a　sufficient　number　of　productive　news　channels　to　ensure　a　continuous　flow　of　readable　literary　information。

Occasionally　he　sent　to　an　editor　here　and　there　what　he　thought　was　a　particularly　newsy　letter　just　〃for　his　information；　not　for　sale。〃　The　editor　of　the　Philadelphia　Times　was　the　first　to　discover　that　his　paper　wanted　the　letter；　and　the　Boston　Journal　followed　suit。　Then　the　editor　of　the　Cincinnati　Times…Star　discovered　the　letter　in　the　New　York　Star；　and　asked　that　it　be　supplied　weekly　with　the　letter。　These　newspapers　renamed　the　letter　〃Bok's　Literary　Leaves；〃　and　the　feature　started　on　its　successful　career。

Edward　had　been　in　the　employ　of　Henry　Holt　and　Company　as　clerk　and　stenographer　for　two　years　when　Mr。　Cary　sent　for　him　and　told　him　that　there　was　an　opening　in　the　publishing　house　of　Charles　Scribner's　Sons；　if　he　wanted　to　make　a　change。　Edward　saw　at　once　the　larger　opportunities　possible　in　a　house　of　the　importance　of　the　Scribners；　and　he　immediately　placed　himself　in　communication　with　Mr。　Charles　Scribner；　with　the　result　that　in　January；　1884；　he　entered　the　employ　of　these　publishers　as　stenographer　to　the　two　members　of　the　firm　and　to　Mr。　Edward　L。　Burlingame；　literary　adviser　to　the　house。　He　was　to　receive　a　salary　of　eighteen　dollars　and　thirty…three　cents　per　week；　which　was　then　considered　a　fair　wage　for　stenographic　work。　The　typewriter　had　at　that　time　not　come　into　use；　and　all　letters　were　written　in　long…hand。　Once　more　his　legible　handwriting　had　secured　for　him　a　position。

Edward　Bok　was　now　twenty…one　years　of　age。　He　had　already　done　a　prodigious　amount　of　work　for　a　boy　of　his　years。　He　was　always　busy。　Every　spare　moment　of　his　evenings　was　devoted　either　to　writing　his　literary　letter；　to　the　arrangement　or　editing　of　articles　for　his　newspaper　syndicate；　to　the　steady　acquirement　of　autograph　letters　in　which　he　still　persisted；　or　to　helping　Mr。　Beecher　in　his　literary　work。　The　Plymouth　pastor　was　particularly　pleased　with　Edward's　successful　exploitation　of　his　pen　work；　and　he　afterward　wrote：　〃Bok　is　the　only　man　who　ever　seemed　to　make　my　literary　work　go　and　get　money　out　of　it。〃

Enterprise　and　energy　the　boy　unquestionably　possessed；　but　one　need　only　think　back　even　thus　far　in　his　life　to　see　the　continuous　good　fortune　which　had　followed　him　in　the　friendships　he　had　made；　and　in　the　men　with　whom　his　life；　at　its　most　formative　period；　had　come　into　close　contact。　If　we　are　inclined　to　credit　young　Bok　with　an　ever…willingness　to　work　and　a　certain　quality　of　initiative；　the　influences　which　played　upon　him　must　also　be　taken　into　account。

Take；　for　example；　the　peculiarly　fortuitous　circumstances　under　which　he　entered　the　Scribner　publishing　house。　As　stenographer　to　the　two　members　of　the　firm；　Bok　was　immediately　brought　into　touch　with　the　leading　authors　of　the　day；　their　works　as　they　were　discussed　in　the　correspondence　dictated　to　him；　and　the　authors'　terms　upon　which　books　were　published。　In　fact；　he　was　given　as　close　an　insight　as　it　was　possible　for　a　young　man　to　get　into　the　inner　workings　of　one　of　the　large　publishing　houses　in　the　United　States；　with　a　list　peculiarly　noted　for　the　distinction　of　its　authors　and　the　broad　scope　of　its　books。

The　Scribners　had　the　foremost　theological　list　of　all　the　publishing　houses；　its　educational　list　was　exceptionally　strong；　its　musical　list　excelled；　its　fiction　represented　the　leading　writers　of　the　day；　its　general　list　was　particularly　noteworthy；　and　its　foreign　department；　importing　the　leading　books　brought　out　in　Great　Britain　and　Europe；　was　an　outstanding　feature　of　the　business。　The　correspondence　dictated　to　Bok　covered；　naturally；　all　these　fields；　and　a　more　remarkable　opportunity　for　self…education　was　never　offered　a　stenographer。

Mr。　Burlingame　was　known　in　the　publishing　world　for　his　singularly　keen　literary　appreciation；　and　was　accepted　as　one　of　the　best　judges　of　good　fiction。　Bok　entered　the　Scribner　employ　as　Mr。　Burlingame　was　selecting　the　best　short　stories　published　within　a　decade　for　a　set　of　books　to　be　called　〃Short　Stories　by　American　Authors。〃　The　correspondence　for　this　series　was　dictated　to　Bok；　and　he　decided　to　read　after　Mr。　Burlingame　and　thus　get　an　idea　of　the　best　fiction　of　the　day。　So　whenever　his　chief　wrote　to　an　author　asking　for　permission　to　include　his　story　in　the　proposed　series；　Bok　immediately　hunted　up　the　story　and　read　it。

Later；　when　the　house　decided　to　start　Scribner's　Magazine；　and　Mr。　Burlingame　was　selected　to　be　its　editor；　all　the　preliminary　correspondence　was　dictated　to　Bok　through　his　employers；　and　he　received　a　firsthand　education　in　the　setting　up　of　the　machinery　necessary　for　the　publication　of　a　magazine。　All　this　he　eagerly　absorbed。

He　was　again　fortunate　in　that　his　desk　was　placed　in　the　advertising　department　of　the　house；　and　here　he　found；　as　manager；　an　old…time　Brooklyn　boy　friend　with　whom　he　had　gone　to　school：　Frank　N。　Doubleday；　to…day　the　senior　partner　of　Doubleday；　Page　and　Company。　Bok　had　been　attracted　to　advertising　through　his　theatre　programme　and　Brooklyn　Magazine　experience；　and　here　was　presented　a　chance　to　learn　the　art　at　first　hand　and　according　to　the　best　traditions。　So；　whenever　his　stenographic　work　permitted；　he　assisted　Mr。　Doubleday　in　preparing　and　placing　the　advertisements　of　the　books　of　the　house。

Mr。　Doubleday　was　just　reviving　the　publication　of　a　house…organ　called　The　Book　Buyer；　and；　given　a　chance　to　help　in　this；　Bok　felt　he　was　getting　back　into　the　periodical　field；　especially　since；　under　Mr。　Doubleday's　guidance；　the　little　monthly　soon　developed　into　a　literary　magazine　of　very　respectable　size　and　generally　bookish　contents。

The　house　also　issued　another　periodical；　The　Presbyterian　Review；　a　quarterly　under　the　editorship　of　a　board　of　professors　connected　with　the　Princeton　and　Union　Theological　Seminaries。　This　ponderous…looking　magazine　was　not　composed　of　what　one　might　call　〃light　reading；〃　and　as　the　price　of　a　single　copy　was　eighty　cents；　and　the　advertisements　it　could　reasonably　expect　were　necessarily　limited　in　number；　the　periodical　was　rather　difficult　to　move。　Thus　the　whole　situation　at　the　Scribners'　was　adapted　to　give　Edward　an　all…round　training　in　the　publishing　business。　It　was　an　exceptional　opportunity。

He　worked　early　and　late。　An　increase　in　his　salary　soon　told　him　that　he　was　satisfying　his　employers；　and　then；　when　the　new　Scribner's　Magazine　appeared；　and　a　little　later　Mr。　Doubleday　was　delegated　to　take　charge　of　the　business　end　of　it；　Bok　himself　was　placed　in　charge　of　the　advertising　department；　with　the　publishing　details　of　the　two　periodicals　on　his　hands。

He　suddenly　found　himself　directing　a　stenographer　instead　of　being　a　stenographer　himself。　Evidently　his　apprentice　days　were　over。　He　had；　in　addition；　the　charge　of　sending　all　the　editorial　copies　of　the　new　books　to　the　press　for　review；　and　of　keeping　a　record　of　those　reviews。　This　naturally　brought　to　his　desk　the　authors　of　the　house　who　wished　to　see　how　the　press　received　their　works。

The　study　of　the　writers　who　were　interested　in　following　the　press　notices　of　their　books；　and　those　who　were　indifferent　to　them　became　a　fascinating　game　to　young　Bok。　He　soon　discovered　that　the　greater　the　author　the　less　he　seemed　to　care　about　his　books　once　they　were　published。　Bok　noticed　this；　particularly；　in　the　case　of　Robert　Louis　Stevenson；　whose　work　had　attracted　him；　but；　although　he　used　the　most　subtle　means　to　inveigle　the　author　into　the　office　to　read　the　press　notices；　he　never　succeeded。　Stevenson　never　seemed　to　have　the　slightest　interest　in　what　the　press　said　of　his　books。

One　day　Mr。　Burlingame　asked　Bok　to　take　some　proofs　to　Stevenson　at　his　home；　thinking　it　might　be　a　propitious　moment　to　interest　the　author　in　the　popular　acclaim　that　followed　the　publication　of　Doctor　Jekyll　and　Mr。　Hyde；　Bok　put　a　bunch　of　press　notices　in　his　pocket。　He　found　the　author　in　bed；　smoking　his　inevitable　cigarette。

As　the　proofs　were　to　be　brought　back；　Bok　waited；　and　thus　had　an　opportunity　for　nearly　two　hours　to　see　the　author　at　work。　No　man　ever　went　over　his　proofs　more　carefully　than　did　Stevenson；　his　corrections　were　numerous；　and　sometimes　for　ten　minutes　at　a　time　he　would　sit　smoking　and　thinking　over　a　single　sentence；　which；　when　he　had　satisfactorily　shaped　it　in　his　mind；　he　would　recast　on　the　proof。

Stevenson　was　not　a　prepossessing　figure　at　these　times。　With　his　sallow　skin　and　his　black　dishevelled　hair；　with　finger…nails　which　had　been　allowed　to　grow　very　long；　with　fingers　discolored　by