the americanization of edward bok-第29节

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〃Why？〃　asked　the　editor。

〃Well；　they　say　it's　the　best　stuff　for　girls　they　have　ever　read。　They'd　love　to　know　Miss　Ashmead　better。〃

Here　was　exactly　what　the　editor　wanted；　but　he　was　the　author！　He　changed　the　name　to　Ruth　Ashmore；　and　decided　to　let　the　manuscript　go　into　the　magazine。　He　reasoned　that　he　would　then　have　a　month　in　which　to　see　the　writer　he　had　in　mind；　and　he　would　show　her　the　proof。　But　a　month　filled　itself　with　other　duties；　and　before　the　editor　was　aware　of　it；　the　composition…room　wanted　〃copy〃　for　the　second　installment　of　〃Side　Talks　with　Girls。〃　Once　more　the　editor　furnished　the　copy！

Within　two　weeks　after　the　second　article　had　been　written；　the　magazine　containing　the　first　installment　of　the　new　department　appeared；　and　the　next　day　two　hundred　letters　were　received　for　〃Ruth　Ashmore；〃　with　the　mail…clerk　asking　where　they　should　be　sent。　〃Leave　them　with　me；　please；〃　replied　the　editor。　On　the　following　day　the　mail…clerk　handed　him　five　hundred　more。

The　editor　now　took　two　letters　from　the　top　and　opened　them。　He　never　opened　the　third！　That　evening　he　took　the　bundle　home；　and　told　his　mother　of　his　predicament。　She　read　the　letters　and　looked　at　her　son。　〃You　have　no　right　to　read　these；〃　she　said。　The　son　readily　agreed。

His　instinct　had　correctly　interpreted　the　need；　but　he　never　dreamed　how　far　the　feminine　nature　would　reveal　itself　on　paper。

The　next　morning　the　editor；　with　his　letters；　took　the　train　for　New　York　and　sought　his　friend；　Mrs。　Isabel　A。　Mallon；　the　〃Bab〃　of　his　popular　syndicate　letter。

〃Have　you　read　this　department？〃　he　asked；　pointing　to　the　page　in　the　magazine。

〃I　have；〃　answered　Mrs。　Mallon。　〃Very　well　done；　too；　it　is。　Who　is　'Ruth　Ashmore'？'

〃You　are；〃　answered　Edward　Bok。　And　while　it　took　considerable　persuasion；　from　that　time　on　Mrs。　Mallon　became　Ruth　Ashmore；　the　most　ridiculed　writer　in　the　magazine　world；　and　yet　the　most　helpful　editor　that　ever　conducted　a　department　in　periodical　literature。　For　sixteen　years　she　conducted　the　department；　until　she　passed　away；　her　last　act　being　to　dictate　a　letter　to　a　correspondent。　In　those　sixteen　years　she　had　received　one　hundred　and　fifty…eight　thousand　letters：　she　kept　three　stenographers　busy；　and　the　number　of　girls　who　to…day　bless　the　name　of　Ruth　Ashmore　is　legion。

But　the　newspaper　humorists　who　insisted　that　Ruth　Ashmore　was　none　other　than　Edward　Bok　never　knew　the　partial　truth　of　their　joke！

The　editor　soon　supplemented　this　department　with　one　dealing　with　the　spiritual　needs　of　the　mature　woman。　〃The　King's　Daughters〃　was　then　an　organization　at　the　summit　of　its　usefulness；　with　Margaret　Bottome　its　president。　Edward　Bok　had　heard　Mrs。　Bottome　speak；　had　met　her　personally；　and　decided　that　she　was　the　editor　for　the　department　he　had　in　mind。

〃I　want　it　written　in　an　intimate　way　as　if　there　were　only　two　persons　in　the　world；　you　and　the　person　reading。　I　want　heart　to　speak　to　heart。　We　will　make　that　the　title；〃　said　the　editor；　and　unconsciously　he　thus　created　the　title　that　has　since　become　familiar　wherever　English　is　spoken：　〃Heart　to　Heart　Talks。〃　The　title　gave　the　department　an　instantaneous　hearing；　the　material　in　it　carried　out　its　spirit；　and　soon　Mrs。　Bottome's　department　rivaled；　in　popularity；　the　page　by　Ruth　Ashmore。

These　two　departments　more　than　anything　else；　and　the　irresistible　picture　of　a　man　editing　a　woman's　magazine；　brought　forth　an　era　of　newspaper　paragraphing　and　a　flood　of　so…called　〃humorous〃　references　to　the　magazine　and　editor。　It　became　the　vogue　to　poke　fun　at　both。　The　humorous　papers　took　it　up；　the　cartoonists　helped　it　along；　and　actors　introduced　the　name　of　the　magazine　on　the　stage　in　plays　and　skits。　Never　did　a　periodical　receive　such　an　amount　of　gratuitous　advertising。　Much　of　the　wit　was　absolutely　without　malice：　some　of　it　was　written　by　Edward　Bok's　best　friends；　who　volunteered　to　〃let　up〃　would　he　but　raise　a　finger。

But　he　did　not　raise　the　finger。　No　one　enjoyed　the　〃paragraphs〃　more　heartily　when　the　wit　was　good；　and　in　that　case；　if　the　writer　was　unknown　to　him；　he　sought　him　out　and　induced　him　to　write　for　him。　In　this　way；　George　Fitch　was　found　on　the　Peoria；　Illinois；　Transcript　and　introduced　to　his　larger　public　in　the　magazine　and　book　world　through　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　whose　editor　he　believed　he　had　〃most　unmercifully　roasted〃；but　he　had　done　it　so　cleverly　that　the　editor　at　once　saw　his　possibilities。

When　all　his　friends　begged　Bok　to　begin　proceedings　against　the　New　York　Evening　Sun　because　of　the　libellous　（？）　articles　written　about　him　by　〃The　Woman　About　Town；〃　the　editor　admired　the　style　rather　than　the　contents；　made　her　acquaintance；　and　secured　her　as　a　regular　writer：　she　contributed　to　the　magazine　some　of　the　best　things　published　in　its　pages。　But　she　did　not　abate　her　opinions　of　Bok　and　his　magazine　in　her　articles　in　the　newspaper；　and　Bok　did　not　ask　it　of　her：　he　felt　that　she　had　a　right　to　her　opinionsthose　he　was　not　buying；　but　he　was　eager　to　buy　her　direct　style　in　treating　subjects　he　knew　no　other　woman　could　so　effectively　handle。

And　with　his　own　limited　knowledge　of　the　sex；　he　needed；　and　none　knew　it　better　than　did　he；　the　ablest　women　he　could　obtain　to　help　him　realize　his　ideals。　Their　personal　opinions　of　him　did　not　matter　so　long　as　he　could　command　their　best　work。　Sooner　or　later；　when　his　purposes　were　better　understood；　they　might　alter　those　opinions。　For　that　he　could　afford　to　wait。　But　he　could　not　wait　to　get　their　work。

By　this　time　the　editor　had　come　to　see　that　the　power　of　a　magazine　might　lie　more　securely　behind　the　printed　page　than　in　it。　He　had　begun　to　accustom　his　readers　to　writing　to　his　editors　upon　all　conceivable　problems。

This　he　decided　to　encourage。　He　employed　an　expert　in　each　line　of　feminine　endeavor；　upon　the　distinct　understanding　that　the　most　scrupulous　attention　should　be　given　to　her　correspondence：　that　every　letter；　no　matter　how　inconsequential；　should　be　answered　quickly；　fully；　and　courteously；　with　the　questioner　always　encouraged　to　come　again　if　any　problem　of　whatever　nature　came　to　her。　He　told　his　editors　that　ignorance　on　any　question　was　a　misfortune；　not　a　crime；　and　he　wished　their　correspondence　treated　in　the　most　courteous　and　helpful　spirit。

Step　by　step；　the　editor　built　up　this　service　behind　the　magazine　until　he　had　a　staff　of　thirty…five　editors　on　the　monthly　pay…roll；　in　each　issue；　he　proclaimed　the　willingness　of　these　editors　to　answer　immediately　any　questions　by　mail；　he　encouraged　and　cajoled　his　readers　to　form　the　habit　of　looking　upon　his　magazine　as　a　great　clearing…house　of　information。　Before　long；　the　letters　streamed　in　by　the　tens　of　thousands　during　a　year。　The　editor　still　encouraged；　and　the　total　ran　into　the　hundreds　of　thousands；　until　during　the　last　year；　before　the　service　was　finally　stopped　by　the　Great　War　of　1917…18；　the　yearly　correspondence　totalled　nearly　a　million　letters。

The　work　of　some　of　these　editors　never　reached　the　printed　page；　and　yet　was　vastly　more　important　than　any　published　matter　could　possibly　be。　Out　of　the　work　of　Ruth　Ashmore；　for　instance；　there　grew　a　class　of　cases　of　the　most　confidential　nature。　These　cases；　distributed　all　over　the　country；　called　for　special　investigation　and　personal　contact。　Bok　selected　Mrs。　Lyman　Abbott　for　this　piece　of　delicate　work；　and；　through　the　wide　acquaintance　of　her　husband；　she　was　enabled　to　reach；　personally；　every　case　in　every　locality；　and　bring　personal　help　to　bear　on　it。　These　cases　mounted　into　the　hundreds；　and　the　good　accomplished　through　this　quiet　channel　cannot　be　overestimated。

The　lack　of　opportunity　for　an　education　in　Bok's　own　life　led　him　to　cast　about　for　some　plan　whereby　an　education　might　be　obtained　without　expense　by　any　one　who　desired。　He　finally　hit　upon　the　simple　plan　of　substituting　free　scholarships　for　the　premiums　then　so　frequently　offered　by　periodicals　for　subscriptions　secured。　Free　musical　education　at　the　leading　conservatories　was　first　offered　to　any　girl　who　would　secure　a　certain　number　of　subscriptions　to　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　the　complete　offer　being　a　year's　free　tuition；　with　free　room；　free　board；　free　piano　in　her　own　room；　and　all　travelling　expenses　paid。　The　plan　was　an　immediate　success：　the　solicitation　of　a　subscription　by　a　girl　desirous　of　educating　herself　made　an　irresistible　appeal。

This　plan　was　soon　extended；　so　as　to　include　all　the　girls'　colleges；　and　finally　all　the　men's　colleges；　so　that　a　free　education　might　be　possible　at　any　educational　institution。　So　comprehensive　it　became　that　to　the　close　of　1919；　one　thousand　four　hundred　and　fifty…five　free　scholarships　had　been　awarded。　The　plan　has　now　been　in　operation　long　enough　to　have　produced　some　of　the　leading　singers　and　instrumental　artists　of　the　day；　whose　names　are　familiar　to　all；　as　well　as　instructors　in　colleges　and　scores　of　teachers；　and　to　have　sent　several　score　of　men　into　conspicuous　positions　in　the　business　and　professional　world。

Edward　Bok　has　always　felt　that　but　for　his　own　inability　to　secure　an　education；