the americanization of edward bok-第30节

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ld。

Edward　Bok　has　always　felt　that　but　for　his　own　inability　to　secure　an　education；　and　his　consequent　desire　for　self…improvement；　the　realization　of　the　need　in　others　might　not　have　been　so　strongly　felt　by　him；　and　that　his　plan　whereby　thousands　of　others　were　benefited　might　never　have　been　realized。

The　editor's　correspondence　was　revealing；　among　other　deficiencies；　the　wide…spread　unpreparedness　of　the　average　American　girl　for　motherhood；　and　her　desperate　ignorance　when　a　new　life　was　given　her。　On　the　theory　that　with　the　realization　of　a　vital　need　there　is　always　the　person　to　meet　it；　Bok　consulted　the　authorities　of　the　Babies'　Hospital　of　New　York；　and　found　Doctor　Emmet　Holt's　house　physician；　Doctor　Emelyn　L。　Coolidge。　To　the　authorities　in　the　world　of　babies；　Bok's　discovery　was；　of　course；　a　known　and　serious　fact。

Doctor　Coolidge　proposed　that　the　magazine　create　a　department　of　questions　and　answers　devoted　to　the　problems　of　young　mothers。　This　was　done；　and　from　the　publication　of　the　first　issue　the　questions　began　to　come　in。　Within　five　years　the　department　had　grown　to　such　proportions　that　Doctor　Coolidge　proposed　a　plan　whereby　mothers　might　be　instructed；　by　mail；　in　the　rearing　of　babiesin　their　general　care；　their　feeding；　and　the　complete　hygiene　of　the　nursery。

Bok　had　already　learned；　in　his　editorial　experience；　carefully　to　weigh　a　woman's　instinct　against　a　man's　judgment；　but　the　idea　of　raising　babies　by　mail　floored　him。　He　reasoned；　however；　that　a　woman；　and　more　particularly　one　who　had　been　in　a　babies'　hospital　for　years；　knew　more　about　babies　than　he　could　possibly　know。　He　consulted　baby…specialists　in　New　York　and　Philadelphia；　and；　with　one　accord；　they　declared　the　plan　not　only　absolutely　impracticable　but　positively　dangerous。　Bok's　confidence　in　woman's　instinct；　however；　persisted；　and　he　asked　Doctor　Coolidge　to　map　out　a　plan。

This　called　for　the　services　of　two　physicians：　Miss　Marianna　Wheeler；　for　many　years　superintendent　of　the　Babies'　Hospital；　was　to　look　after　the　prospective　mother　before　the　baby's　birth；　and　Doctor　Coolidge；　when　the　baby　was　born；　would　immediately　send　to　the　young　mother　a　printed　list　of　comprehensive　questions；　which；　when　answered；　would　be　immediately　followed　by　a　full　set　of　directions　as　to　the　care　of　the　child；　including　carefully　prepared　food　formule。　At　the　end　of　the　first　month；　another　set　of　questions　was　to　be　forwarded　for　answer　by　the　mother；　and　this　monthly　service　was　to　be　continued　until　the　child　reached　the　age　of　two　years。　The　contact　with　the　mother　would　then　become　intermittent；　dependent　upon　the　condition　of　mother　and　child。　All　the　directions　and　formule　were　to　be　used　only　under　the　direction　of　the　mother's　attendant　physician；　so　that　the　fullest　cooperation　might　be　established　between　the　physician　on　the　case　and　the　advisory　department　of　the　magazine。

Despite　advice　to　the　contrary；　Bok　decided；　after　consulting　a　number　of　mothers；　to　establish　the　system。　It　was　understood　that　the　greatest　care　was　to　be　exercised：　the　most　expert　advice；　if　needed；　was　to　be　sought　and　given；　and　the　thousands　of　cases　at　the　Babies'　Hospital　were　to　be　laid　under　contribution。

There　was　then　begun　a　magazine　department　which　was　to　be　classed　among　the　most　clear…cut　pieces　of　successful　work　achieved　by　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。

Step　by　step；　the　new　departure　won　its　way；　and　was　welcomed　eagerly　by　thousands　of　young　mothers。　It　was　not　long　before　the　warmest　commendation　from　physicians　all　over　the　country　was　received。　Promptness　of　response　and　thoroughness　of　diagnosis　were；　of　course；　the　keynotes　of　the　service：　where　the　cases　were　urgent；　the　special　delivery　post　and；　later；　the　night…letter　telegraph　service　were　used。

The　plan　is　now　in　its　eleventh　year　of　successful　operation。　Some　idea　of　the　enormous　extent　of　its　service　can　be　gathered　from　the　amazing　figures　that；　at　the　close　of　the　tenth　year；　show　over　forty　thousand　prospective　mothers　have　been　advised；　while　the　number　of　babies　actually　〃raised〃　by　Doctor　Coolidge　approaches　eighty　thousand。　Fully　ninety…five　of　every　hundred　of　these　babies　registered　have　remained　under　the　monthly　letter…care　of　Doctor　Coolidge　until　their　first　year；　when　the　mothers　receive　a　diet　list　which　has　proved　so　effective　for　future　guidance　that　many　mothers　cease　to　report　regularly。　Eighty…five　out　of　every　hundred　babies　have　remained　in　the　registry　until　their　graduation　at　the　age　of　two。　Over　eight　large　sets　of　library　drawers　are　required　for　the　records　of　the　babies　always　under　the　supervision　of　the　registry。

Scores　of　physicians　who　vigorously　opposed　the　work　at　the　start　have　amended　their　opinions　and　now　not　only　give　their　enthusiastic　endorsement；　but　have　adopted　Doctor　Coolidge's　food　formule　for　their　private　and　hospital　cases。

It　was　this　comprehensive　personal　service；　built　up　back　of　the　magazine　from　the　start；　that　gave　the　periodical　so　firm　and　unique　a　hold　on　its　clientele。　It　was　not　the　printed　word　that　was　its　chief　power：　scores　of　editors　who　have　tried　to　study　and　diagnose　the　appeal　of　the　magazine　from　the　printed　page；　have　remained　baffled　at　the　remarkable　confidence　elicited　from　its　readers。　They　never　looked　back　of　the　magazine；　and　therefore　failed　to　discover　its　secret。　Bok　went　through　three　financial　panics　with　the　magazine；　and　while　other　periodicals　severely　suffered　from　diminished　circulation　at　such　times；　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　always　held　its　own。　Thousands　of　women　had　been　directly　helped　by　the　magazine；　it　had　not　remained　an　inanimate　printed　thing；　but　had　become　a　vital　need　in　the　personal　lives　of　its　readers。

So　intimate　had　become　this　relation；　so　efficient　was　the　service　rendered；　that　its　readers　could　not　be　pried　loose　from　it；　where　women　were　willing　and　ready；　when　the　domestic　pinch　came；　to　let　go　of　other　reading　matter；　they　explained　to　their　husbands　or　fathers　that　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　was　a　necessitythey　did　not　feel　that　they　could　do　without　it。　The　very　quality　for　which　the　magazine　had　been　held　up　to　ridicule　by　the　unknowing　and　unthinking　had　become；　with　hundreds　of　thousands　of　women；　its　source　of　power　and　the　bulwark　of　its　success。

Bok　was　beginning　to　realize　the　vision　which　had　lured　him　from　New　York：　that　of　putting　into　the　field　of　American　magazines　a　periodical　that　should　become　such　a　clearing…house　as　virtually　to　make　it　an　institution。

He　felt　that；　for　the　present　at　least；　he　had　sufficiently　established　the　personal　contact　with　his　readers　through　the　more　intimate　departments；　and　decided　to　devote　his　efforts　to　the　literary　features　of　the　magazine。



XVII。　Eugene　Field's　Practical　Jokes

Eugene　Field　was　one　of　Edward　Bok's　close　friends　and　also　his　despair；　as　was　likely　to　be　the　case　with　those　who　were　intimate　with　the　Western　poet。　One　day　Field　said　to　Bok：　〃I　am　going　to　make　you　the　most　widely　paragraphed　man　in　America。〃　The　editor　passed　the　remark　over；　but　he　was　to　recall　it　often　as　his　friend　set　out　to　make　his　boast　good。

The　fact　that　Bok　was　unmarried　and　the　editor　of　a　woman's　magazine　appealed　strongly　to　Field's　sense　of　humor。　He　knew　the　editor's　opposition　to　patent　medicines；　and　so　he　decided　to　join　the　two　facts　in　a　paragraph；　put　on　the　wire　at　Chicago；　to　the　effect　that　the　editor　was　engaged　to　be　married　to　Miss　Lavinia　Pinkham；　the　granddaughter　of　Mrs。　Lydia　Pinkham；　of　patent…medicine　fame。　The　paragraph　carefully　described　Miss　Pinkham；　the　school　where　she　had　been　educated；　her　talents；　her　wealth；　etc。　Field　was　wise　enough　to　put　the　paragraph　not　in　his　own　column　in　the　Chicago　News；　lest　it　be　considered　in　the　light　of　one　of　his　practical　jokes；　but　on　the　news　page　of　the　paper；　and　he　had　it　put　on　the　Associated　Press　wire。

He　followed　this　up　a　few　days　later　with　a　paragraph　announcing　Bok's　arrival　at　a　Boston　hotel。　Then　came　a　paragraph　saying　that　Miss　Pinkham　was　sailing　for　Paris　to　buy　her　trousseau。　The　paragraphs　were　worded　in　the　most　matter…of…fact　manner；　and　completely　fooled　the　newspapers；　even　those　of　Boston。　Field　was　delighted　at　the　success　of　his　joke；　and　the　fact　that　Bok　was　in　despair　over　the　letters　that　poured　in　upon　him　added　to　Field's　delight。

He　now　asked　Bok　to　come　to　Chicago。　〃I　want　you　to　know　some　of　my　cronies；〃　he　wrote。　〃Julia　＇his　wife＇　is　away；　so　we　will　shift　for　ourselves。〃　Bok　arrived　in　Chicago　one　Sunday　afternoon；　and　was　to　dine　at　Field's　house　that　evening。　He　found　a　jolly　company：　James　Whitcomb　Riley；　Sol　Smith　Russell　the　actor；　Opie　Read；　and　a　number　of　Chicago's　literary　men。

When　seven　o'clock　came；　some　one　suggested　to　Field　that　something　to　eat　might　not　be　amiss。

〃Shortly；〃　answered　the　poet。　〃Wife　is　out；　cook　is　new；　and　dinner　will　be　a　little　late。　Be　patient。〃　But　at　eight　o'clock　there　was　still　no　dinner。　Riley　began　to　grow　suspicious　and　slipped　down…stairs。　He　found　no　one　in　the　kitchen　and　the　range　cold。　He　came　back　and　reported。　〃Nonsense；〃　said　Field。　〃It　can't　be。〃　All　went　down…stairs　to　find　out　the　truth。　〃Let's　g