the americanization of edward bok-第2节

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ong。　The　two　nightingales　soon　grew　into　a　colony；　and　within　a　few　years　so　rich　was　the　island　in　its　nightingales　that　over　to　the　Dutch　coast　and　throughout　the　land　and　into　other　countries　spread　the　fame　of　〃The　Island　of　Nightingales。〃

Meantime；　the　young　mayor…judge；　grown　to　manhood；　had　kept　on　planting　trees　each　year；　setting　out　his　shrubbery　and　plants；　until　their　verdure　now　beautifully　shaded　the　quaint；　narrow　lanes；　and　transformed　into　cool　wooded　roads　what　once　had　been　only　barren　sun…baked　wastes。　Artists　began　to　hear　of　the　place　and　brought　their　canvases；　and　on　the　walls　of　hundreds　of　homes　throughout　the　world　hang　to…day　bits　of　the　beautiful　lanes　and　wooded　spots　of　〃The　Island　of　Nightingales。〃　The　American　artist　William　M。　Chase　took　his　pupils　there　almost　annually。　〃In　all　the　world　to…day；〃　he　declared　to　his　students；　as　they　exclaimed　at　the　natural　cool　restfulness　of　the　island；　〃there　is　no　more　beautiful　place。〃

The　trees　are　now　majestic　in　their　height　of　forty　or　more　feet；　for　it　is　nearly　a　hundred　years　since　the　young　attorney　went　to　the　island　and　planted　the　first　tree；　today　the　churchyard　where　he　lies　is　a　bower　of　cool　green；　with　the　trees　that　he　planted　dropping　their　moisture　on　the　lichen…covered　stone　on　his　grave。

This　much　did　one　man　do。　But　he　did　more。

After　he　had　been　on　the　barren　island　two　years　he　went　to　the　mainland　one　day；　and　brought　back　with　him　a　bride。　It　was　a　bleak　place　for　a　bridal　home；　but　the　young　wife　had　the　qualities　of　the　husband。　〃While　you　raise　your　trees；〃　she　said；　〃I　will　raise　our　children。〃　And　within　a　score　of　years　the　young　bride　sent　thirteen　happy…faced；　well…brought…up　children　over　that　island；　and　there　was　reared　a　home　such　as　is　given　to　few。　Said　a　man　who　subsequently　married　a　daughter　of　that　home：　〃It　was　such　a　home　that　once　you　had　been　in　it　you　felt　you　must　be　of　it；　and　that　if　you　couldn't　marry　one　of　the　daughters　you　would　have　been　glad　to　have　married　the　cook。〃

One　day　when　the　children　had　grown　to　man's　and　woman's　estate　the　mother　called　them　all　together　and　said　to　them；　〃I　want　to　tell　you　the　story　of　your　father　and　of　this　island；〃　and　she　told　them　the　simple　story　that　is　written　here。

〃And　now；〃　she　said；　〃as　you　go　out　into　the　world　I　want　each　of　you　to　take　with　you　the　spirit　of　your　father's　work；　and　each　in　your　own　way　and　place；　to　do　as　he　has　done：　make　you　the　world　a　bit　more　beautiful　and　better　because　you　have　been　in　it。　That　is　your　mother's　message　to　you。〃

The　first　son　to　leave　the　island　home　went　with　a　band　of　hardy　men　to　South　Africa；　where　they　settled　and　became　known　as　〃the　Boers。〃　Tirelessly　they　worked　at　the　colony　until　towns　and　cities　sprang　up　and　a　new　nation　came　into　being：　The　Transvaal　Republic。　The　son　became　secretary　of　state　of　the　new　country；　and　to…day　the　United　States　of　South　Africa　bears　tribute；　in　part；　to　the　mother's　message　to　〃make　the　world　a　bit　more　beautiful　and　better。〃

The　second　son　left　home　for　the　Dutch　mainland；　where　he　took　charge　of　a　small　parish；　and　when　he　had　finished　his　work　he　was　mourned　by　king　and　peasant　as　one　of　the　leading　clergymen　of　his　time　and　people。

A　third　son；　scorning　his　own　safety；　plunged　into　the　boiling　surf　on　one　of　those　nights　of　terror　so　common　to　that　coast；　rescued　a　half…dead　sailor；　carried　him　to　his　father's　house；　and　brought　him　back　to　a　life　of　usefulness　that　gave　the　world　a　record　of　imperishable　value。　For　the　half…drowned　sailor　was　Heinrich　Schliemann；　the　famous　explorer　of　the　dead　cities　of　Troy。

The　first　daughter　now　left　the　island　nest；　to　her　inspiration　her　husband　owed；　at　his　life's　close；　a　shelf　of　works　in　philosophy　which　to…day　are　among　the　standard　books　of　their　class。

The　second　daughter　worked　beside　her　husband　until　she　brought　him　to　be　regarded　as　one　of　the　ablest　preachers　of　his　land；　speaking　for　more　than　forty　years　the　message　of　man's　betterment。

To　another　son　it　was　given　to　sit　wisely　in　the　councils　of　his　land；　another　followed　the　footsteps　of　his　father。　Another　daughter；　refusing　marriage　for　duty；　ministered　unto　and　made　a　home　for　one　whose　eyes　could　see　not。

So　they　went　out　into　the　world；　the　girls　and　boys　of　that　island　home；　each　carrying　the　story　of　their　father's　simple　but　beautiful　work　and　the　remembrance　of　their　mother's　message。　Not　one　from　that　home　but　did　well　his　or　her　work　in　the　world；　some　greater；　some　smaller；　but　each　left　behind　the　traces　of　a　life　well　spent。

And；　as　all　good　work　is　immortal；　so　to…day　all　over　the　world　goes　on　the　influence　of　this　one　man　and　one　woman；　whose　life　on　that　little　Dutch　island　changed　its　barren　rocks　to　a　bower　of　verdure；　a　home　for　the　birds　and　the　song　of　the　nightingale。　The　grandchildren　have　gone　to　the　four　corners　of　the　globe；　and　are　now　the　generation　of　workers…some　in　the　far　East　Indies；　others　in　Africa；　still　others　in　our　own　land　of　America。　But　each　has　tried；　according　to　the　talents　given；　to　carry　out　the　message　of　that　day；　to　tell　the　story　of　the　grandfather's　work；　just　as　it　is　told　here　by　the　author　of　this　book；　who；　in　the　efforts　of　his　later　years；　has　tried　to　carry　out；　so　far　as　opportunity　has　come　to　him；　the　message　of　his　grandmother：

〃Make　you　the　world　a　bit　more　beautiful　and　better　because　you　have　been　in　it。〃



I。　The　First　Days　in　America

The　Leviathan　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　in　1870；　was　The　Queen；　and　when　she　was　warped　into　her　dock　on　September　20　of　that　year；　she　discharged；　among　her　passengers；　a　family　of　four　from　the　Netherlands　who　were　to　make　an　experiment　of　Americanization。

The　father；　a　man　bearing　one　of　the　most　respected　names　in　the　Netherlands；　had　acquired　wealth　and　position　for　himself；　unwise　investments；　however；　had　swept　away　his　fortune；　and　in　preference　to　a　new　start　in　his　own　land；　he　had　decided　to　make　the　new　beginning　in　the　United　States；　where　a　favorite　brother…in…law　had　gone　several　years　before。　But　that；　never　a　simple　matter　for　a　man　who　has　reached　forty…two；　is　particularly　difficult　for　a　foreigner　in　a　strange　land。　This　fact　he　and　his　wife　were　to　find　out。　The　wife；　also　carefully　reared；　had　been　accustomed　to　a　scale　of　living　which　she　had　now　to　abandon。　Her　Americanization　experiment　was　to　compel　her；　for　the　first　time　in　her　life；　to　become　a　housekeeper　without　domestic　help。　There　were　two　boys：　the　elder；　William；　was　eight　and　a　half　years　of　age；　the　younger；　in　nineteen　days　from　his　landing…date；　was　to　celebrate　his　seventh　birthday。

This　younger　boy　was　Edward　William　Bok。　He　had；　according　to　the　Dutch　custom；　two　other　names；　but　he　had　decided　to　leave　those　in　the　Netherlands。　And　the　American　public　was；　in　later　years；　to　omit　for　him　the　〃William。〃

Edward's　first　six　days　in　the　United　States　were　spent　in　New　York；　and　then　he　was　taken　to　Brooklyn；　where　he　was　destined　to　live　for　nearly　twenty　years。

Thanks　to　the　linguistic　sense　inherent　in　the　Dutch；　and　to　an　educational　system　that　compels　the　study　of　languages；　English　was　already　familiar　to　the　father　and　mother。　But　to　the　two　sons；　who　had　barely　learned　the　beginnings　of　their　native　tongue；　the　English　language　was　as　a　closed　book。　It　seemed　a　cruel　decision　of　the　father　to　put　his　two　boys　into　a　public　school　in　Brooklyn；　but　he　argued　that　if　they　were　to　become　Americans；　the　sooner　they　became　part　of　the　life　of　the　country　and　learned　its　language　for　themselves；　the　better。　And　so；　without　the　ability　to　make　known　the　slightest　want　or　to　understand　a　single　word；　the　morning　after　their　removal　to　Brooklyn；　the　two　boys　were　taken　by　their　father　to　a　public　school。

The　American　public…school　teacher　was　perhaps　even　less　well　equipped　in　those　days　than　she　is　to…day　to　meet　the　needs　of　two　Dutch　boys　who　could　not　understand　a　word　she　said；　and　who　could　only　wonder　what　it　was　all　about。　The　brothers　did　not　even　have　the　comfort　of　each　other's　company；　for；　graded　by　age；　they　were　placed　in　separate　classes。

Nor　was　the　American　boy　of　1870　a　whit　less　cruel　than　is　the　American　boy　of　1920；　and　he　was　none　the　less　loath　to　show　that　cruelty。　This　trait　was　evident　at　the　first　recess　of　the　first　day　at　school。　At　the　dismissal；　the　brothers　naturally　sought　each　other；　only　to　find　themselves　surrounded　by　a　group　of　tormentors　who　were　delighted　to　have　such　promising　objects　for　their　fun。　And　of　this　opportunity　they　made　the　most。　There　was　no　form　of　petty　cruelty　boys'　minds　could　devise　that　was　not　inflicted　upon　the　two　helpless　strangers。　Edward　seemed　to　look　particularly　inviting；　and　nicknaming　him　〃Dutchy〃　they　devoted　themselves　at　each　noon　recess　and　after　school　to　inflicting　their　cruelties　upon　him。

Louis　XIV　may　have　been　right　when　he　said　that　〃every　new　language　requires　a　new　soul；〃　but　Edward　Bok　knew　that　while　spoken　languages　might　differ；　there　is　one　language　understood　by　boys　the　world　over。　And　with　this　language　Edward　decided　to　do　some　experimenting。　After　a　few　days　at　school；　he　cast　his　eyes　over　the　group　of　his　tormentors；　pick