the americanization of edward bok-第21节

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t　actually　counted　in　any　of　the　places　where　he　had　been　employed　or　in　others　which　he　had　watched；　that　business　was　so　constructed　and　conducted　that　nothing　else；　in　the　face　of　competition；　could　act　as　current　coin。　And　the　amazing　part　of　it　all　to　Bok　was　how　little　merit　there　was。　Nothing　astonished　him　more　than　the　low　average　ability　of　those　with　whom　he　worked　or　came　into　contact。

He　looked　at　the　top；　and　instead　of　finding　it　overcrowded；　he　was　surprised　at　the　few　who　had　reached　there；　the　top　fairly　begged　for　more　to　climb　its　heights。

For　every　young　man；　earnest；　eager　to　serve；　willing　to　do　more　than　he　was　paid　for；　he　found　ten　trying　to　solve　the　problem　of　how　little　they　could　actually　do　for　the　pay　received。

It　interested　Bok　to　listen　to　the　talk　of　his　fellow…workers　during　luncheon　hours　and　at　all　other　times　outside　of　office　hours。　When　the　talk　did　turn　on　the　business　with　which　they　were　concerned；　it　consisted　almost　entirely　of　wages；　and　he　soon　found　that；　with　scarcely　an　exception；　every　young　man　was　terribly　underpaid；　and　that　his　employer　absolutely　failed　to　appreciate　his　work。　It　was　interesting；　later；　when　Bok　happened　to　get　the　angle　of　the　employer；　to　discover　that；　invariably；　these　same　lamenting　young　men　were　those　who；　from　the　employer's　point　of　view；　were　either　greatly　overpaid　or　so　entirely　worthless　as　to　be　marked　for　early　decapitation。

Bok　felt　that　this　constant　thought　of　the　wages　earned　or　deserved　was　putting　the　cart　before　the　horse；　he　had　schooled　himself　into　the　belief　that　if　he　did　his　work　well；　and　accomplished　more　than　was　expected　of　him；　the　question　of　wages　would　take　care　of　itself。　But；　according　to　the　talk　on　every　side；　it　was　he　who　had　the　cart　before　the　horse。　Bok　had　not　only　tried　always　to　fill　the　particular　job　set　for　him　but　had　made　it　a　rule　at　the　same　time　to　study　the　position　just　ahead；　to　see　what　it　was　like；　what　it　demanded；　and　then；　as　the　opportunity　presented　itself；　do　a　part　of　that　job　in　addition　to　his　own。　As　a　stenographer；　he　tried　always　to　clear　off　the　day's　work　before　he　closed　his　desk。　This　was　not　always　possible；　but　he　kept　it　before　him　as　a　rule　to　be　followed　rather　than　violated。

One　morning　Bok's　employer　happened　to　come　to　the　office　earlier　than　usual；　to　find　the　letters　he　had　dictated　late　in　the　afternoon　before　lying　on　his　desk　ready　to　be　signed。

〃These　are　the　letters　I　gave　you　late　yesterday　afternoon；　are　they　not？〃　asked　the　employer。

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Must　have　started　early　this　morning；　didn't　you？〃

〃No；　sir；〃　answered　Bok。　〃I　wrote　them　out　last　evening　before　I　left。〃

〃Like　to　get　your　notes　written　out　before　they　get　stale？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Good　idea；〃　said　the　employer。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　Bok；　〃and　I　think　it　is　even　a　better　idea　to　get　a　day's　work　off　before　I　take　my　apron　off。〃

〃Well　said；〃　answered　the　employer；　and　the　following　payday　Bok　found　an　increase　in　his　weekly　envelope。

It　is　only　fair；　however；　to　add　here；　parenthetically；　that　it　is　neither　just　nor　considerate　to　a　conscientious　stenographer　for　an　employer　to　delay　his　dictation　until　the　end　of　the　day's　work；　when；　merely　by　judicious　management　of　his　affairs　and　time；　he　can　give　his　dictation　directly　after　opening　his　morning　mail。　There　are　two　sides　to　every　question；　but　sometimes　the　side　of　the　stenographer　is　not　kept　in　mind　by　the　employer。

Bok　found　it　a　uniform　rule　among　his　fellow…workers　to　do　exactly　the　opposite　to　his　own　idea；　there　was　an　astonishing　unanimity　in　working　by　the　clock；　where　the　hour　of　closing　was　five　o'clock　the　preparations　began　five　minutes　before；　with　the　hat　and　overcoat　over　the　back　of　the　chair　ready　for　the　stroke　of　the　hour。　This　concert　of　action　was　curiously　universal；　no　〃overtime〃　was　ever　to　be　thought　of；　and；　as　occasionally　happened　when　the　work　did　go　over　the　hour；　it　was　not；　to　use　the　mildest　term；　done　with　care；　neatness；　or　accuracy；　it　was；　to　use　a　current　phrase；　〃slammed　off。〃　Every　moment　beyond　five　o'clock　in　which　the　worker　was　asked　to　do　anything　was　by　just　so　much　an　imposition　on　the　part　of　the　employer；　and　so　far　as　it　could　be　safely　shown；　this　impression　was　gotten　over　to　him。

There　was　an　entire　unwillingness　to　let　business　interfere　with　any　anticipated　pleasure　or　personal　engagement。　The　office　was　all　right　between　nine　and　five；　one　had　to　be　there　to　earn　a　living；　but　after　five；　it　was　not　to　be　thought　of　for　one　moment。　The　elevators　which　ran　on　the　stroke　of　five　were　never　large　enough　to　hold　the　throng　which　besieged　them。

The　talk　during　lunch　hour　rarely；　if　ever；　turned　toward　business；　except　as　said　before；　when　it　dealt　with　underpaid　services。　In　the　spring　and　summer　it　was　invariably　of　baseball；　and　scores　of　young　men　knew　the　batting　averages　of　the　different　players　and　the　standing　of　the　clubs　with　far　greater　accuracy　than　they　knew　the　standing　or　the　discounts　of　the　customers　of　their　employers。　In　the　winter　the　talk　was　all　of　dancing；　boxing；　or　plays。

It　soon　became　evident　to　Bok　why　scarcely　five　out　of　every　hundred　of　the　young　men　whom　he　knew　made　any　business　progress。　They　were　not　interested；　it　was　a　case　of　a　day's　work　and　a　day's　pay；　it　was　not　a　question　of　how　much　one　could　do　but　how　little　one　could　get　away　with。　The　thought　of　how　well　one　might　do　a　given　thing　never　seemed　to　occur　to　the　average　mind。

〃Oh；　what　do　you　care？〃　was　the　favorite　expression。　〃The　boss　won't　notice　it　if　you　break　your　back　over　his　work；　you　won't　get　any　more　pay。〃

And　there　the　subject　was　dismissed；　and　thoroughly　dismissed；　too。

Eventually；　then；　Bok　learned　that　the　path　that　led　to　success　was　wide　open：　the　competition　was　negligible。　There　was　no　jostling。　In　fact；　travel　on　it　was　just　a　trifle　lonely。　One's　fellow…travellers　were　excellent　company；　but　they　were　few！　It　was　one　of　Edward　Bok's　greatest　surprises；　but　it　was　also　one　of　his　greatest　stimulants。　To　go　where　others　could　not　go；　or　were　loath　to　go；　where　at　least　they　were　not；　had　a　tang　that　savored　of　the　freshest　kind　of　adventure。　And　the　way　was　so　simple；　so　much　simpler；　in　fact；　than　its　avoidance；　which　called　for　so　much　argument；　explanation；　and　discussion。　One　had　merely　to　do　all　that　one　could　do；　a　little　more　than　one　was　asked　or　expected　to　do；　and　immediately　one's　head　rose　above　the　crowd　and　one　was　in　an　employer's　eyewhere　it　is　always　so　satisfying　for　an　employee　to　be！　And　as　so　few　heads　lifted　themselves　above　the　many；　there　was　never　any　danger　that　they　would　not　be　seen。

Of　course；　Edward　Bok　had　to　prove　to　himself　that　his　conception　of　conditions　was　right。　He　felt　instinctively　that　it　was；　however；　and　with　this　stimulus　he　bucked　the　line　hard。　When　others　played；　he　worked；　fully　convinced　that　his　play…time　would　come　later。　Where　others　shirked；　he　assumed。　Where　others　lagged；　he　accelerated　his　pace。　Where　others　were　indifferent　to　things　around　them；　he　observed　and　put　away　the　results　for　possible　use　later。　He　did　not　make　of　himself　a　pack…horse；　what　he　undertook　he　did　from　interest　in　it；　and　that　made　it　a　pleasure　to　him　when　to　others　it　was　a　burden。　He　instinctively　reasoned　it　out　that　an　unpleasant　task　is　never　accomplished　by　stepping　aside　from　it；　but　that；　unerringly；　it　will　return　later　to　be　met　and　done。

Obstacles；　to　Edward　Bok；　soon　became　merely　difficulties　to　be　overcome；　and　he　trusted　to　his　instinct　to　show　him　the　best　way　to　overcome　them。　He　soon　learned　that　the　hardest　kind　of　work　was　back　of　every　success；　that　nothing　in　the　world　of　business　just　happened；　but　that　everything　was　brought　about；　and　only　in　one　wayby　a　willingness　of　spirit　and　a　determination　to　carry　through。　He　soon　exploded　for　himself　the　misleading　and　comfortable　theory　of　luck：　the　only　lucky　people；　he　found；　were　those　who　worked　hard。　To　them；　luck　came　in　the　shape　of　what　they　had　earned。　There　were　exceptions　here　and　there；　as　there　are　to　every　rule；　but　the　majority　of　these；　he　soon　found；　were　more　in　the　seeming　than　in　the　reality。　Generally　speakingand　of　course　to　this　rule　there　are　likewise　exceptions；　or　as　the　Frenchman　said；　〃All　generalizations　are　false；　including　this　one〃a　man　got　in　this　world　about　what　he　worked　for。

And　that　became；　for　himself；　the　rule　of　Edward　Bok's　life。



XII。　Baptism　Under　Fire

The　personnel　of　the　Scribner　house　was　very　youthful　from　the　members　of　the　firm　clear　down　the　line。　It　was　veritably　a　house　of　young　men。

The　story　is　told　of　a　Boston　publisher；　sedate　and　fairly　elderly；　who　came　to　the　Scribner　house　to　transact　business　with　several　of　its　departments。　One　of　his　errands　concerning　itself　with　advertising；　he　was　introduced　to　Bok；　who　was　then　twenty…four。　Looking　the　youth　over；　he　transacted　his　business　as　well　as　he　felt　it　could　be　transacted　with　a　manager　of　such　tender　years；　and　then　sought　the　head　of　the　educational　department：　this　brought　him　to　another　young　man　of　twenty…four。

With　his　yearnings　for　some　one　more　advanced　in　years　full　upon　him；　the　visitor　now