the americanization of edward bok-第26节

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thout　question　upon　her　approval；　only　to　meet　with　an　immediate　and　decided　negative　to　the　proposition　as　a　whole；　general　and　specific。　She　argued　that　the　theatrical　business　was　not　for　him；　and　she　saw　ahead　and　pointed　out　so　strongly　the　mistake　he　was　making　that　he　sought　Miss　Davenport　the　next　day　and　told　her　of　his　mother's　stand。　The　actress　suggested　that　she　see　the　mother；　she　did；　that　day；　and　she　came　away　from　the　interview　a　wiser　if　a　sadder　woman。　Miss　Davenport　frankly　told　Bok　that　with　such　an　instinctive　objection　as　his　mother　seemed　to　have；　he　was　right　to　follow　her　advice　and　the　contract　was　not　to　be　thought　of。

It　is　difficult　to　say　whether　this　was　or　was　not　for　Bok　the　turning…point　which　comes　in　the　life　of　every　young　man。　Where　the　venture　into　theatrical　life　would　have　led　him　no　one　can；　of　course；　say。　One　thing　is　certain：　Bok's　instinct　and　reason　both　failed　him　in　this　instance。　He　believes　now　that　had　his　venture　into　the　theatrical　field　been　temporary　or　permanent；　the　experiment；　either　way；　would　have　been　disastrous。

Looking　back　and　viewing　the　theatrical　profession　even　as　it　was　in　that　day　（of　a　much　higher　order　than　now）；　he　is　convinced　he　would　never　have　been　happy　in　it。　He　might　have　found　this　out　in　a　year　or　more；　after　the　novelty　of　travelling　had　worn　off；　and　asked　release　from　his　contract；　in　that　case　he　would　have　broken　his　line　of　progress　in　the　publishing　business。　From　whatever　viewpoint　he　has　looked　back　upon　this；　which　he　now　believes　to　have　been　the　crisis　in　his　life；　he　is　convinced　that　his　mother's　instinct　saved　him　from　a　grievous　mistake。

The　Scribner　house；　in　its　foreign…book　department；　had　imported　some　copies　of　Bourrienne's　Life　of　Napoleon；　and　a　set　had　found　its　way　to　Bok's　desk　for　advertising　purposes。　He　took　the　books　home　to　glance　them　over；　found　himself　interested；　and　sat　up　half　the　night　to　read　them。　Then　he　took　the　set　to　the　editor　of　the　New　York　Star；　and　suggested　that　such　a　book　warranted　a　special　review；　and　offered　to　leave　the　work　for　the　literary　editor。

〃You　have　read　the　books？〃　asked　the　editor。

〃Every　word；〃　returned　Bok。

〃Then；　why　don't　you　write　the　review？〃　suggested　the　editor。

This　was　a　new　thought　to　Bok。　〃Never　wrote　a　review；〃　he　said。

〃Try　it；〃　answered　the　editor。　〃Write　a　column。〃

〃A　column　wouldn't　scratch　the　surface　of　this　book；〃　suggested　the　embryo　reviewer。

〃Well；　give　it　what　it　is　worth；〃　returned　the　editor。

Bok　did。　He　wrote　a　page　of　the　paper。

〃Too　much；　too　much；〃　said　the　editor。　〃Heavens；　man；　we've　got　to　get　some　news　into　this　paper。〃

〃Very　well；〃　returned　the　reviewer。　〃Read　it；　and　cut　it　where　you　like。　That's　the　way　I　see　the　book。〃

And　next　Sunday　the　review　appeared；　word　for　word；　as　Bok　had　written　it。　His　first　review　had　successfully　passed！

But　Bok　was　really　happiest　in　that　part　of　his　work　which　concerned　itself　with　the　writing　of　advertisements。　The　science　of　advertisement　writing；　which　meant　to　him　the　capacity　to　say　much　in　little　space；　appealed　strongly。　He　found　himself　more　honestly　attracted　to　this　than　to　the　writing　of　his　literary　letter；　his　editorials；　or　his　book　reviewing；　of　which　he　was　now　doing　a　good　deal。　He　determined　to　follow　where　his　bent　led；　he　studied　the　mechanics　of　unusual　advertisements　wherever　he　saw　them；　he　eagerly　sought　a　knowledge　of　typography　and　its　best　handling　in　an　advertisement；　and　of　the　value　and　relation　of　illustrations　to　text。　He　perceived　that　his　work　along　these　lines　seemed　to　give　satisfaction　to　his　employers；　since　they　placed　more　of　it　in　his　hands　to　do；　and　he　sought　in　every　way　to　become　proficient　in　the　art。

To　publishers　whose　advertisements　he　secured　for　the　periodicals　in　his　charge；　he　made　suggestions　for　the　improvement　of　their　announcements；　and　found　his　suggestions　accepted。　He　early　saw　the　value　of　white　space　as　one　of　the　most　effective　factors　in　advertising；　but　this　was　a　difficult　argument；　he　soon　found；　to　convey　successfully　to　others。　A　white　space　in　an　advertisement　was　to　the　average　publisher　something　to　fill　up；　Bok　saw　in　it　something　to　cherish　for　its　effectiveness。　But　he　never　got　very　far　with　his　idea：　he　could　not　convince　（perhaps　because　he　failed　to　express　his　ideas　convincingly）　his　advertisers　of　what　he　felt　and　believed　so　strongly。

An　occasion　came　in　which　he　was　permitted　to　prove　his　contention。　The　Scribners　had　published　Andrew　Carnegie's　volume；　Triumphant　Democracy；　and　the　author　desired　that　some　special　advertising　should　be　done　in　addition　to　that　allowed　by　the　appropriation　made　by　the　house。　To　Bok's　grateful　ears　came　the　injunction　from　the　steel　magnate：　〃Use　plenty　of　white　space。〃　In　conjunction　with　Mr。　Doubleday；　Bok　prepared　and　issued　this　extra　advertising；　and　for　once；　at　least；　the　wisdom　of　using　white　space　was　demonstrated。　But　it　was　only　a　flash　in　the　pan。　Publishers　were　unwilling　to　pay　for　〃unused　space；〃　as　they　termed　it。　Each　book　was　a　separate　unit；　others　argued：　it　was　not　like　advertising　one　article　continuously　in　which　money　could　be　invested；　and　only　a　limited　amount　could　be　spent　on　a　book　which　ran　its　course；　even　at　its　best；　in　a　very　short　time。

And；　rightly　or　wrongly；　book　advertising　has　continued　much　along　the　same　lines　until　the　present　day。　In　fact；　in　no　department　of　manufacturing　or　selling　activity　has　there　been　so　little　progress　during　the　past　fifty　years　as　in　bringing　books　to　the　notice　of　the　public。　In　all　other　lines；　the　producer　has　brought　his　wares　to　the　public；　making　it　easier　and　still　easier　for　it　to　obtain　his　goods；　while　the　public；　if　it　wants　a　book；　must　still　seek　the　book　instead　of　being　sought　by　it。

That　there　is　a　tremendous　unsupplied　book　demand　in　this　country　there　is　no　doubt：　the　wider　distribution　and　easier　access　given　to　periodicals　prove　this　point。　Now　and　then　there　has　been　tried　an　unsupported　or　not　well…thought…out　plan　for　bringing　books　to　a　public　not　now　reading　them；　but　there　seems　little　or　no　understanding　of　the　fact　that　there　lies　an　uncultivated　field　of　tremendous　promise　to　the　publisher　who　will　strike　out　on　a　new　line　and　market　his　books；　so　that　the　public　will　not　have　to　ferret　out　a　book…store　or　wind　through　the　maze　of　a　department　store。　The　American　reading　public　is　not　the　book…reading　public　that　it　should　be　or　could　be　made　to　be；　but　the　habit　must　be　made　easy　for　it　to　acquire。　Books　must　be　placed　where　the　public　can　readily　get　at　them。　It　will　not；　of　its　own　volition；　seek　them。　It　did　not　do　so　with　magazines；　it　will　not　do　so　with　books。

In　the　meanwhile；　Bok's　literary　letter　had　prospered　until　it　was　now　published　in　some　forty…five　newspapers。　One　of　these　was　the　Philadelphia　Times。　In　that　paper；　each　week；　the　letter　had　been　read　by　Mr。　Cyrus　H。　K。　Curtis；　the　owner　and　publisher　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　Mr。　Curtis　had　decided　that　he　needed　an　editor　for　his　magazine；　in　order　to　relieve　his　wife；　who　was　then　editing　it；　and　he　fixed　upon　the　writer　of　Literary　Leaves　as　his　man。　He　came　to　New　York；　consulted　Will　Carleton；　the　poet；　and　found　that　while　the　letter　was　signed　by　William　J。　Bok；　it　was　actually　written　by　his　brother　who　was　with　the　Scribners。　So　he　sought　Bok　out　there。

The　publishing　house　had　been　advertising　in　the　Philadelphia　magazine；　so　that　the　visit　of　Mr。　Curtis　was　not　an　occasion　for　surprise。　Mr。　Curtis　told　Bok　he　had　read　his　literary　letter　in　the　Philadelphia　Times；　and　suggested　that　perhaps　he　might　write　a　similar　department　for　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　Bok　saw　no　reason　why　he　should　not；　and　told　Mr。　Curtis　so；　and　promised　to　send　over　a　trial　installment。　The　Philadelphia　publisher　then　deftly　went　on；　explained　editorial　conditions　in　his　magazine；　and；　recognizing　the　ethics　of　the　occasion　by　not　offering　Bok　another　position　while　he　was　already　occupying　one；　asked　him　if　he　knew　the　man　for　the　place。

〃Are　you　talking　at　me　or　through　me？〃　asked　Bok。

〃Both；〃　replied　Mr。　Curtis。

This　was　in　April　of　1889。

Bok　promised　Mr。　Curtis　he　would　look　over　the　field；　and　meanwhile　he　sent　over　to　Philadelphia　the　promised　trial　〃literary　gossip〃　installment。　It　pleased　Mr。　Curtis；　who　suggested　a　monthly　department；　to　which　Bok　consented。　He　also　turned　over　in　his　mind　the　wisdom　of　interrupting　his　line　of　progress　with　the　Scribners；　and　in　New　York；　and　began　to　contemplate　the　possibilities　in　Philadelphia　and　the　work　there。

He　gathered　a　collection　of　domestic　magazines　then　published；　and　looked　them　over　to　see　what　was　already　in　the　field。　Then　he　began　to　study　himself；　his　capacity　for　the　work；　and　the　possibility　of　finding　it　congenial。　He　realized　that　it　was　absolutely　foreign　to　his　Scribner　work：　that　it　meant　a　radical　departure。　But　his　work　with　his　newspaper　syndicate　naturally　occurred　to　him；　and　he　studied　it　with　a　view　of　its　adaptation　to　the　field　of　the　Philadelphia　magazine。

His　next　step　was　to　take　into　his　confidence　two　or　three　friends　whose　judgment　he　trusted　and　discuss　the　possible　change。　Without　an　exce