the americanization of edward bok-第3节

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e　experimenting。　After　a　few　days　at　school；　he　cast　his　eyes　over　the　group　of　his　tormentors；　picked　out　one　who　seemed　to　him　the　ringleader；　and　before　the　boy　was　aware　of　what　had　happened；　Edward　Bok　was　in　the　full　swing　of　his　first　real　experiment　with　Americanization。　Of　course　the　American　boy　retaliated。　But　the　boy　from　the　Netherlands　had　not　been　born　and　brought　up　in　the　muscle…building　air　of　the　Dutch　dikes　for　nothing；　and　after　a　few　moments　he　found　himself　looking　down　on　his　tormentor　and　into　the　eyes　of　a　crowd　of　very　respectful　boys　and　giggling　girls　who　readily　made　a　passageway　for　his　brother　and　himself　when　they　indicated　a　desire　to　leave　the　schoolyard　and　go　home。

Edward　now　felt　that　his　Americanization　had　begun；　but；　always　believing　that　a　thing　begun　must　be　carried　to　a　finish；　he　took；　or　gaveit　depends　upon　the　point　of　viewtwo　or　three　more　lessons　in　this　particular　phase　of　Americanization　before　he　convinced　these　American　schoolboys　that　it　might　be　best　for　them　to　call　a　halt　upon　further　excursions　in　torment。

At　the　best；　they　were　difficult　days　at　school　for　a　boy　of　six　without　the　language。　But　the　national　linguistic　gift　inherent　in　the　Dutch　race　came　to　the　boy's　rescue；　and　as　the　roots　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　lie　in　the　Frisian　tongue；　and　thus　in　the　language　of　his　native　country；　Edward　soon　found　that　with　a　change　of　vowel　here　and　there　the　English　language　was　not　so　difficult　of　conquest。　At　all　events；　he　set　out　to　master　it。

But　his　fatal　gift　of　editing；　although　its　possession　was　unknown　to　him；　began　to　assert　itself　when；　just　as　he　seemed　to　be　getting　along　fairly　well；　he　balked　at　following　the　Spencerian　style　of　writing　in　his　copybooks。　Instinctively　he　rebelled　at　the　flourishes　which　embellished　that　form　of　handwriting。　He　seemed　to　divine　somehow　that　such　penmanship　could　not　be　useful　or　practicable　for　after　life；　and　so；　with　that　Dutch　stolidity　that；　once　fixed；　knows　no　altering；　he　refused　to　copy　his　writing　lessons。　Of　course　trouble　immediately　ensued　between　Edward　and　his　teacher。　Finding　herself　against　a　literal　blank　wallfor　Edward　simply　refused；　but　had　not　the　gift　of　English　with　which　to　explain　his　refusalthe　teacher　decided　to　take　the　matter　to　the　male　principal　of　the　school。　She　explained　that　she　had　kept　Edward　after　school　for　as　long　as　two　hours　to　compel　him　to　copy　his　Spencerian　lesson；　but　that　the　boy　simply　sat　quiet。　He　was　perfectly　well…behaved；　she　explained；　but　as　to　his　lesson；　he　would　attempt　absolutely　nothing。

It　was　the　prevailing　custom　in　the　public　schools　of　1870　to　punish　boys　by　making　them　hold　out　the　palms　of　their　hands；　upon　which　the　principal　would　inflict　blows　with　a　rattan。　The　first　time　Edward　was　punished　in　this　way；　his　hand　became　so　swollen　he　wondered　at　a　system　of　punishment　which　rendered　him　incapable　of　writing；　particularly　as　the　discerning　principal　had　chosen　the　boy's　right　hand　upon　which　to　rain　the　blows。　Edward　was　told　to　sit　down　at　the　principal's　own　desk　and　copy　the　lesson。　He　sat；　but　he　did　not　write。　He　would　not　for　one　thing；　and　he　could　not　if　he　would。　After　half　an　hour　of　purposeless　sitting；　the　principal　ordered　Edward　again　to　stand　up　and　hold　out　his　hand；　and　once　more　the　rattan　fell　in　repeated　blows。　Of　course　it　did　no　good；　and　as　it　was　then　five　o'clock；　and　the　principal　had　inflicted　all　the　punishment　that　the　law　allowed；　and　as　he　probably　wanted　to　go　home　as　much　as　Edward　did；　he　dismissed　the　sore…handed　but　more…than…ever…determined　Dutch　boy。

Edward　went　home　to　his　father；　exhibited　his　swollen　hand；　explained　the　reason；　and　showed　the　penmanship　lesson　which　he　had　refused　to　copy。　It　is　a　singular　fact　that　even　at　that　age　he　already　understood　Americanization　enough　to　realize　that　to　cope　successfully　with　any　American　institution；　one　must　be　constructive　as　well　as　destructive。　He　went　to　his　room；　brought　out　a　specimen　of　Italian　handwriting　which　he　had　seen　in　a　newspaper；　and　explained　to　his　father　that　this　simpler　penmanship　seemed　to　him　better　for　practical　purposes　than　the　curlicue　fancifully　embroidered　Spencerian　style；　that　if　he　had　to　learn　penmanship；　why　not　learn　the　system　that　was　of　more　possible　use　in　after　life？

Now；　your　Dutchman　is　nothing　if　not　practical。　He　is　very　simple　and　direct　in　his　nature；　and　is　very　likely　to　be　equally　so　in　his　mental　view。　Edward's　father　was　distinctly　interestedvery　much　amused；　as　he　confessed　to　the　boy　in　later　yearsin　his　son's　discernment　of　the　futility　of　the　Spencerian　style　of　penmanship。　He　agreed　with　the　boy；　and；　next　morning；　accompanied　him　to　school　and　to　the　principal。　The　two　men　were　closeted　together；　and　when　they　came　out　Edward　was　sent　to　his　classroom。　For　some　weeks　he　was　given　no　penmanship　lessons；　and　then　a　new　copy…book　was　given　him　with　a　much　simpler　style。　He　pounced　upon　it；　and　within　a　short　time　stood　at　the　head　of　his　class　in　writing。

The　same　instinct　that　was　so　often　to　lead　Edward　aright　in　his　future　life；　at　its　very　beginning　served　him　in　a　singularly　valuable　way　in　directing　his　attention　to　the　study　of　penmanship；　for　it　was　through　his　legible　handwriting　that　later；　in　the　absence　of　the　typewriter；　he　was　able　to　secure　and　satisfactorily　fill　three　positions　which　were　to　lead　to　his　final　success。

Years　afterward　Edward　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　public…school　pupils　given　a　choice　of　penmanship　lessons：　one　along　the　flourish　lines　and　the　other　of　a　less　ornate　order。　Of　course；　the　boy　never　associated　the　incident　of　his　refusal　with　the　change　until　later　when　his　mother　explained　to　him　that　the　principal　of　the　school；　of　whom　the　father　had　made　a　warm　friend；　was　so　impressed　by　the　boy's　simple　but　correct　view；　that　he　took　up　the　matter　with　the　board　of　education；　and　a　choice　of　systems　was　considered　and　later　decided　upon。

From　this　it　will　be　seen　that；　unconsciously；　Edward　Bok　had　started　upon　his　career　of　editing！



II。　The　First　Job：　Fifty　Cents　a　Week

The　Elder　Bok　did　not　find　his　〃lines　cast　in　pleasant　places〃　in　the　United　States。　He　found　himself；　professionally；　unable　to　adjust　the　methods　of　his　own　land　and　of　a　lifetime　to　those　of　a　new　country。　As　a　result　the　fortunes　of　the　transplanted　family　did　not　flourish；　and　Edward　soon　saw　his　mother　physically　failing　under　burdens　to　which　her　nature　was　not　accustomed　nor　her　hands　trained。　Then　he　and　his　brother　decided　to　relieve　their　mother　in　the　housework　by　rising　early　in　the　morning；　building　the　fire；　preparing　breakfast；　and　washing　the　dishes　before　they　went　to　school。　After　school　they　gave　up　their　play　hours；　and　swept　and　scrubbed；　and　helped　their　mother　to　prepare　the　evening　meal　and　wash　the　dishes　afterward。　It　was　a　curious　coincidence　that　it　should　fall　upon　Edward　thus　to　get　a　first…hand　knowledge　of　woman's　housework　which　was　to　stand　him　in　such　practical　stead　in　later　years。

It　was　not　easy　for　the　parents　to　see　their　boys　thus　forced　to　do　work　which　only　a　short　while　before　had　been　done　by　a　retinue　of　servants。　And　the　capstone　of　humiliation　seemed　to　be　when　Edward　and　his　brother；　after　having　for　several　mornings　found　no　kindling　wood　or　coal　to　build　the　fire；　decided　to　go　out　of　evenings　with　a　basket　and　pick　up　what　wood　they　could　find　in　neighboring　lots；　and　the　bits　of　coal　spilled　from　the　coal…bin　of　the　grocery…store；　or　left　on　the　curbs　before　houses　where　coal　had　been　delivered。　The　mother　remonstrated　with　the　boys；　although　in　her　heart　she　knew　that　the　necessity　was　upon　them。　But　Edward　had　been　started　upon　his　Americanization　career；　and　answered：　〃This　is　America；　where　one　can　do　anything　if　it　is　honest。　So　long　as　we　don't　steal　the　wood　or　coal；　why　shouldn't　we　get　it？〃　And；　turning　away；　the　saddened　mother　said　nothing。

But　while　the　doing　of　these　homely　chores　was　very　effective　in　relieving　the　untrained　and　tired　mother；　it　added　little　to　the　family　income。　Edward　looked　about　and　decided　that　the　time　had　come　for　him；　young　as　he　was；　to　begin　some　sort　of　wage…earning。　But　how　and　where？　The　answer　he　found　one　afternoon　when　standing　before　the　shop…window　of　a　baker　in　the　neighborhood。　The　owner　of　the　bakery；　who　had　just　placed　in　the　window　a　series　of　trays　filled　with　buns；　tarts；　and　pies；　came　outside　to　look　at　the　display。　He　found　the　hungry　boy　wistfully　regarding　the　tempting…looking　wares。

〃Look　pretty　good；　don't　they？〃　asked　the　baker。

〃They　would；〃　answered　the　Dutch　boy　with　his　national　passion　for　cleanliness；　〃if　your　window　were　clean。〃

〃That's　so；　too；〃　mused　the　baker。　〃Perhaps　you'll　clean　it。〃

〃I　will；〃　was　the　laconic　reply。　And　Edward　Bok；　there　and　then；　got　his　first　job。　He　went　in；　found　a　step…ladder；　and　put　so　much　Dutch　energy　into　the　cleaning　of　the　large　show…window　that　the　baker　immediately　arranged　with　him　to　clean　it　every　Tuesday　and　Friday　afternoon　after　school。　The　salary　was　to　be　fifty　cents　per　week！

But　one　day；　after　he　had　finished　cleaning　the　window；　and　the　baker　was　busy　in　the　rear　of　the　store；　a　customer　came　in；　a