the americanization of edward bok-第39节

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Rosa　Bonheur；　the　painter　of　〃The　Horse　Fair；〃　had　been　represented　to　Bok　as　another　recluse　who　was　as　inaccessible　as　Kate　Greenaway。　He　had　known　of　the　painter's　intimate　relations　with　the　ex…Empress　Eugenie；　and　desired　to　get　these　reminiscences。　Everybody　dissuaded　him；　but　again　taking　a　French　friend　he　made　the　journey　to　Fontainebleau；　where　the　artist　lived　in　a　chateau　in　the　little　village　of　By。

A　group　of　dogs；　great；　magnificent　tawny　creatures；　welcomed　the　two　visitors　to　the　chateau；　and　the　most　powerful　door　that　Bok　had　ever　seen；　as　securely　bolted　as　that　of　a　cell；　told　of　the　inaccessibility　of　the　mistress　of　the　house。　Two　blue…frocked　peasants　explained　how　impossible　it　was　for　any　one　to　see　their　mistress；　so　Bok　asked　permission　to　come　in　and　write　her　a　note。

This　was　granted；　and　then；　as　in　the　case　of　Kate　Greenaway；　Rosa　Bonheur　herself　walked　into　the　hall；　in　a　velvet　jacket；　dressed；　as　she　always　was；　in　man's　attire。　A　delightful　smile　lighted　the　strong　face；　surmounted　by　a　shock　of　gray　hair；　cut　short　at　the　back；　and　from　the　moment　of　her　first　welcome　there　was　no　doubt　of　her　cordiality　to　the　few　who　were　fortunate　enough　to　work　their　way　into　her　presence。　It　was　a　wonderful　afternoon；　spent　in　the　painter's　studio　in　the　upper　part　of　the　chateau；　and　Bok　carried　away　with　him　the　promise　of　Rosa　Bonheur　to　write　the　story　of　her　life　for　publication　in　the　magazine。

On　his　return　to　London　the　editor　found　that　Charles　Dana　Gibson　had　settled　down　there　for　a　time。　Bok　had　always　wanted　Gibson　to　depict　the　characters　of　Dickens；　and　he　felt　that　this　was　the　opportunity；　while　the　artist　was　in　London　and　could　get　the　atmosphere　for　his　work。　Gibson　was　as　keen　for　the　idea　as　was　Bok；　and　so　the　two　arranged　the　series　which　was　subsequently　published。

On　his　way　to　his　steamer　to　sail　for　home；　Bok　visited　〃Ian　Maclaren；〃　whose　Bonnie　Brier　Bush　stories　were　then　in　great　vogue；　and　not　only　contracted　for　Doctor　Watson's　stories　of　the　immediate　future；　but　arranged　with　him　for　a　series　of　articles　which；　for　two　years　thereafter；　was　published　in　the　magazine。

The　editor　now　sailed　for　home；　content　with　his　assembly　of　foreign　〃features。〃

On　the　steamer；　Bok　heard　of　the　recent　discovery　of　some　unpublished　letters　by　Louisa　May　Alcott；　written　to　five　girls；　and　before　returning　to　Philadelphia；　he　went　to　Boston；　got　into　touch　with　the　executors　of　the　will　of　Miss　Alcott；　brought　the　letters　back　with　him　to　read；　and　upon　reaching　Philadelphia；　wired　his　acceptance　of　them　for　publication。

But　the　traveller　was　not　at　once　to　enjoy　his　home。　After　only　a　day　in　Philadelphia　he　took　a　train　for　Indianapolis。　Here　lived　the　most　thoroughly　American　writer　of　the　day；　in　Bok's　estimation：　James　Whitcomb　Riley。　An　arrangement；　perfected　before　his　European　visit；　had　secured　to　Bok　practically　exclusive　rights　to　all　the　output　of　his　Chicago　friend　Eugene　Field；　and　he　felt　that　Riley's　work　would　admirably　complement　that　of　Field。　This　Bok　explained　to　Riley；　who　readily　fell　in　with　the　idea；　and　the　editor　returned　to　Philadelphia　with　a　contract　to　see　Riley's　next　dozen　poems。　A　little　later　Field　passed　away。　His　last　poem；　〃The　Dream　Ship；〃　and　his　posthumous　story　〃The　Werewolf〃　appeared　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。

A　second　series　of　articles　was　also　arranged　for　with　Mr。　Harrison；　in　which　he　was　to　depict；　in　a　personal　way；　the　life　of　a　President　of　the　United　States；　the　domestic　life　of　the　White　House；　and　the　financial　arrangements　made　by　the　government　for　the　care　of　the　chief　executive　and　his　family。　The　first　series　of　articles　by　the　former　President　had　been　very　successful；　Bok　felt　that　they　had　accomplished　much　in　making　his　women　readers　familiar　with　their　country　and　the　machinery　of　its　government。　After　this；　which　had　been　undeniably　solid　reading；　Bok　reasoned　that　the　supplementary　articles；　in　lighter　vein；　would　serve　as　a　sort　of　dessert。　And　so　it　proved。

Bok　now　devoted　his　attention　to　strengthening　the　fiction　in　his　magazine。　He　sought　Mark　Twain；　and　bought　his　two　new　stories；　he　secured　from　Bret　Harte　a　tale　which　he　had　just　finished；　and　then　ran　the　gamut　of　the　best　fiction　writers　of　the　day；　and　secured　their　best　output。　Marion　Crawford；　Conan　Doyle；　Sarah　Orne　Jewett；　John　Kendrick　Bangs；　Kate　Douglas　Wiggin；　Hamlin　Garland；　Mrs。　Burton　Harrison；　Elizabeth　Stuart　Phelps；　Mary　E。　Wilkins；　Jerome　K。　Jerome；　Anthony　Hope；　Joel　Chandler　Harris；　and　others　followed　in　rapid　succession。

He　next　turned　for　a　moment　to　his　religious　department；　decided　that　it　needed　a　freshening　of　interest；　and　secured　Dwight　L。　Moody；　whose　evangelical　work　was　then　so　prominently　in　the　public　eye；　to　conduct　〃Mr。　Moody's　Bible　Class〃　in　the　magazinepractically　a　study　of　the　stated　Bible　lesson　of　the　month　with　explanation　in　Moody's　simple　and　effective　style。

The　authors　for　whom　the　Journal　was　now　publishing　attracted　the　attention　of　all　the　writers　of　the　day；　and　the　supply　of　good　material　became　too　great　for　its　capacity。　Bok　studied　the　mechanical　makeup；　and　felt　that　by　some　method　he　must　find　more　room　in　the　front　portion。　He　had　allotted　the　first　third　of　the　magazine　to　the　general　literary　contents　and　the　latter　two…thirds　to　departmental　features。　Toward　the　close　of　the　number；　the　departments　narrowed　down　from　full　pages　to　single　columns　with　advertisements　on　each　side。

One　day　Bok　was　handling　a　story　by　Rudyard　Kipling　which　had　overrun　the　space　allowed　for　it　in　the　front。　The　story　had　come　late；　and　the　rest　of　the　front　portion　of　the　magazine　had　gone　to　press。　The　editor　was　in　a　quandary　what　to　do　with　the　two　remaining　columns　of　the　Kipling　tale。　There　were　only　two　pages　open；　and　these　were　at　the　back。　He　remade　those　pages；　and　continued　the　story　from　pages　6　and　7　to　pages　38　and　39。

At　once　Bok　saw　that　this　was　an　instance　where　〃necessity　was　the　mother　of　invention。〃　He　realized　that　if　he　could　run　some　of　his　front　material　over　to　the　back　he　would　relieve　the　pressure　at　the　front；　present　a　more　varied　contents　there；　and　make　his　advertisements　more　valuable　by　putting　them　next　to　the　most　expensive　material　in　the　magazine。

In　the　next　issue　he　combined　some　of　his　smaller　departments　in　the　back；　and　thus；　in　1896；　he　inaugurated　the　method　of　〃running　over　into　the　back〃　which　has　now　become　a　recognized　principle　in　the　make…up　of　magazines　of　larger　size。　At　first；　Bok's　readers　objected；　but　he　explained　why　he　did　it；　that　they　were　the　benefiters　by　the　plan；　and；　so　far　as　readers　can　be　satisfied　with　what　is；　at　best；　an　awkward　method　of　presentation；　they　were　content。　Today　the　practice　is　undoubtedly　followed　to　excess；　some　magazines　carrying　as　much　as　eighty　and　ninety　columns　over　from　the　front　to　the　back；　from　such　abuse　it　will；　of　course；　free　itself　either　by　a　return　to　the　original　method　of　make…up　or　by　the　adoption　of　some　other　less…irritating　plan。

In　his　reading　about　the　America　of　the　past；　Bok　had　been　impressed　by　the　unusual　amount　of　interesting　personal　material　that　constituted　what　is　termed　unwritten　historyoriginal　events　of　tremendous　personal　appeal　in　which　great　personalities　figured　but　which　had　not　sufficient　historical　importance　to　have　been　included　in　American　history。　Bok　determined　to　please　his　older　readers　by　harking　back　to　the　past　and　at　the　same　time　acquainting　the　younger　generation　with　the　picturesque　events　which　had　preceded　their　time。

He　also　believed　that　if　he　could　〃dress　up〃　the　past；　he　could　arrest　the　attention　of　a　generation　which　was　too　likely　to　boast　of　its　interest　only　in　the　present　and　the　future。　He　took　a　course　of　reading　and　consulted　with　Mr。　Charles　A。　Dana；　editor　of　the　New　York　Sun；　who　had　become　interested　in　his　work　and　had　written　him　several　voluntary　letters　of　commendation。　Mr。　Dana　gave　material　help　in　the　selection　of　subjects　and　writers；　and　was　intensely　amused　and　interested　by　the　manner　in　which　his　youthful　confrere　〃dressed　up〃　the　titles　of　what　might　otherwise　have　looked　like　commonplace　articles。

〃I　know；〃　said　Bok　to　the　elder　editor；　〃it　smacks　a　little　of　the　sensational；　Mr。　Dana；　but　the　purpose　I　have　in　mind　of　showing　the　young　people　of　to…day　that　some　great　things　happened　before　they　came　on　the　stage　seems　to　me　to　make　it　worth　while。〃

Mr。　Dana　agreed　with　this　view；　supplemented　every　effort　of　the　Philadelphia　editor　in　several　subsequent　talks；　and　in　1897　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　began　one　of　the　most　popular　series　it　ever　published。　It　was　called　〃Great　Personal　Events；〃　and　the　picturesque　titles　explained　them。　He　first　pictured　the　enthusiastic　evening　〃When　Jenny　Lind　Sang　in　Castle　Garden；〃　and；　as　Bok　added　to　pique　curiosity；　〃when　people　paid　20　to　sit　in　rowboats　to　hear　the　Swedish　nightingale。〃

This　was　followed　by　an　account　of　the　astonishing　episode　〃When　Henry　Ward　Beecher　Sold　Slaves　in　Plymouth　Pulpit〃；　the　picturesque　journey　〃When　Louis　Kossuth　Rode　Up　Broadway〃；　the　triumphant　tour　〃When　General　Grant　Went　Round　the　World〃；　the　forgotten　story　of　〃When　a