the americanization of edward bok-第4节

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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；　and　Edward　ventured　to　wait　on　her。　Dexterously　he　wrapped　up　for　another　the　fragrant　currant…buns　for　which　his　young　souland　stomachso　hungered！　The　baker　watched　him；　saw　how　quickly　and　smilingly　he　served　the　customer；　and　offered　Edward　an　extra　dollar　per　week　if　he　would　come　in　afternoons　and　sell　behind　the　counter。　He　immediately　entered　into　the　bargain　with　the　understanding　that；　in　addition　to　his　salary　of　a　dollar　and　a　half　per　week；　he　should　each　afternoon　carry　home　from　the　good　things　unsold　a　moderate　something　as　a　present　to　his　mother。　The　baker　agreed；　and　Edward　promised　to　come　each　afternoon　except　Saturday。

〃Want　to　play　ball；　hey？〃　said　the　baker。

〃Yes；　I　want　to　play　ball；〃　replied　the　boy；　but　he　was　not　reserving　his　Saturday　afternoons　for　games；　although；　boy…like；　that　might　be　his　preference。

Edward　now　took　on　for　each　Saturday　morningwhen；　of　course；　there　was　no　schoolthe　delivery　route　of　a　weekly　paper　called　the　South　Brooklyn　Advocate。　He　had　offered　to　deliver　the　entire　neighborhood　edition　of　the　paper　for　one　dollar；　thus　increasing　his　earning　capacity　to　two　dollars　and　a　half　per　week。

Transportation；　in　those　days　in　Brooklyn；　was　by　horse…cars；　and　the　car…line　on　Smith　Street　nearest　Edward's　home　ran　to　Coney　Island。　Just　around　the　corner　where　Edward　lived　the　cars　stopped　to　water　the　horses　on　their　long　haul。　The　boy　noticed　that　the　men　jumped　from　the　open　cars　in　summer；　ran　into　the　cigar…store　before　which　the　watering…trough　was　placed；　and　got　a　drink　of　water　from　the　ice…cooler　placed　near　the　door。　But　that　was　not　so　easily　possible　for　the　women；　and　they；　especially　the　children；　were　forced　to　take　the　long　ride　without　a　drink。　It　was　this　that　he　had　in　mind　when　he　reserved　his　Saturday　afternoon　to　〃play　ball。〃

Here　was　an　opening；　and　Edward　decided　to　fill　it。　He　bought　a　shining　new　pail；　screwed　three　hooks　on　the　edge　from　which　he　hung　three　clean　shimmering　glasses；　and　one　Saturday　afternoon　when　a　car　stopped　the　boy　leaped　on；　tactfully　asked　the　conductor　if　he　did　not　want　a　drink；　and　then　proceeded　to　sell　his　water；　cooled　with　ice；　at　a　cent　a　glass　to　the　passengers。　A　little　experience　showed　that　he　exhausted　a　pail　with　every　two　cars；　and　each　pail　netted　him　thirty　cents。　Of　course　Sunday　was　a　most　profitable　day；　and　after　going　to　Sunday…school　in　the　morning；　he　did　a　further　Sabbath　service　for　the　rest　of　the　day　by　refreshing　tired　mothers　and　thirsty　children　on　the　Coney　Island　carsat　a　penny　a　glass！

But　the　profit　of　six　dollars　which　Edward　was　now　reaping　in　his　newly　found　〃bonanza〃　on　Saturday　and　Sunday　afternoons　became　apparent　to　other　boys；　and　one　Saturday　the　young　ice…water　boy　found　that　he　had　a　competitor；　then　two　and　soon　three。　Edward　immediately　met　the　challenge；　he　squeezed　half　a　dozen　lemons　into　each　pail　of　water；　added　some　sugar；　tripled　his　charge；　and　continued　his　monopoly　by　selling　〃Lemonade；　three　cents　a　glass。〃　Soon　more　passengers　were　asking　for　lemonade　than　for　plain　drinking…water！

One　evening　Edward　went　to　a　party　of　young　people；　and　his　latent　journalistic　sense　whispered　to　him　that　his　young　hostess　might　like　to　see　her　social　affair　in　print。　He　went　home；　wrote　up　the　party；　being　careful　to　include　the　name　of　every　boy　and　girl　present；　and　next　morning　took　the　account　to　the　city　editor　of　the　Brooklyn　Eagle；　with　the　sage　observation　that　every　name　mentioned　in　that　paragraph　represented　a　buyer　of　the　paper；　who　would　like　to　see　his　or　her　name　in　print；　and　that　if　the　editor　had　enough　of　these　reports　he　might　very　advantageously　strengthen　the　circulation　of　The　Eagle。　The　editor　was　not　slow　to　see　the　point；　and　offered　Edward　three　dollars　a　column　for　such　reports。　On　his　way　home；　Edward　calculated　how　many　parties　he　would　have　to　attend　a　week　to　furnish　a　column；　and　decided　that　he　would　organize　a　corps　of　private　reporters　himself。　Forthwith；　he　saw　every　girl　and　boy　he　knew；　got　each　to　promise　to　write　for　him　an　account　of　each　party　he　or　she　attended　or　gave；　and　laid　great　stress　on　a　full　recital　of　names。　Within　a　few　weeks；　Edward　was　turning　in　to　The　Eagle　from　two　to　three　columns　a　week；　his　pay　was　raised　to　four　dollars　a　column；　the　editor　was　pleased　in　having　started　a　department　that　no　other　paper　carried；　and　the　〃among　those　present〃　at　the　parties　all　bought　the　paper　and　were　immensely　gratified　to　see　their　names。

So　everybody　was　happy；　and　Edward　Bok；　as　a　full…fledged　reporter；　had　begun　his　journalistic　career。

It　is　curious　how　deeply　embedded　in　his　nature；　even　in　his　earliest　years；　was　the　inclination　toward　the　publishing　business。　The　word　〃curious〃　is　used　here　because　Edward　is　the　first　journalist　in　the　Bok　family　in　all　the　centuries　through　which　it　extends　in　Dutch　history。　On　his　father's　side；　there　was　a　succession　of　jurists。　On　the　mother's　side；　not　a　journalist　is　visible。

Edward　attended　the　Sunday…school　of　the　Carroll　Park　Methodist　Episcopal　Church；　in　Brooklyn；　of　which　a　Mr。　Elkins　was　superintendent。　One　day　he　learned　that　Mr。　Elkins　was　associated　with　the　publishing　house　of　Harper　and　Brothers。　Edward　had　heard　his　father　speak　of　Harper's　Weekly　and　of　the　great　part　it　had　played　in　the　Civil　War；　his　father　also　brought　home　an　occasional　copy　of　Harper's　Weekly　and　of　Harper's　Magazine。　He　had　seen　Harper's　Young　People；　the　name　of　Harper　and　Brothers　was　on　some　of　his　school…books；　and　he　pictured　in　his　mind　how　wonderful　it　must　be　for　a　man　to　be　associated　with　publishers　of　periodicals　that　other　people　read；　and　books　that　other　folks　studied。　The　Sunday…school　superintendent　henceforth　became　a　figure　of　importance　in　Edward's　eyes；　many　a　morning　the　boy　hastened　from　home　long　before　the　hour　for　school；　and　seated　himself　on　the　steps　of　the　Elkins　house　under　the　pretext　of　waiting　for　Mr。　Elkins's　son　to　go　to　school；　but　really　for　the　secret　purpose　of　seeing　Mr。　Elkins　set　forth　to　engage　in　the　momentous　business　of　making　books　and　periodicals。　Edward　would　look　after　the　superintendent's　form　until　it　was　lost　to　view；　then；　with　a　sigh；　he　would　go　to　school；　forgetting　all　about　the　Elkins　boy　whom　he　had　told　the　father　he　had　come　to　call　for！

One　day　Edward　was　introduced　to　a　girl　whose　father；　he　learned；　was　editor　of　the　New　York　Weekly。　Edward　could　not　quite　place　this　periodical；　he　had　never　seen　it；　he　had　never　heard　of　it。　So　he　bought　a　copy；　and　while　its　contents　seemed　strange；　and　its　air　unfamiliar　in　comparison　with　the　magazines　he　found　in　his　home；　still　an　editor　was　an　editor。　He　was　certainly　well　worth　knowing。　So　he　sought　his　newly　made　young　lady　friend；　asked　permission　to　call　upon　her；　and　to　Edward's　joy　was　introduced　to　her　father。　It　was　enough　for　Edward　to　look　furtively　at　the　editor　upon　his　first　call；　and　being　encouraged　to　come　again；　he　promptly　did　so　the　next　evening。　The　daughter　has　long　since　passed　away；　and　so　it　cannot　hurt　her　feelings　now　to　acknowledge　that　for　years　Edward　paid　court　to　her　only　that　he　might　know　her　father；　and　have　those　talks　with　him　about　editorial　methods　that　filled　him　with　ever…increasing　ambition　to　tread　the　path　that　leads　to　editorial　tribulations。

But　what　with　helping　his　mother；　tending　the　baker's　shop　in　after…school　hours；　serving　his　paper　route；　plying　his　street…car　trade；　and　acting　as　social　reporter；　it　soon　became　evident　to　Edward　that　he　had　not　much　time　to　prepare　his　school　lessons。　By　a　supreme　effort；　he　managed　to　hold　his　own　in　his　class；　but　no　more。　Instinctively；　he　felt　that　he　was　not　getting　all　that　he　might　from　his　educational　opportunities；　yet　the　need　for　him　to　add　to　the　family　income　was；　if　anything；　becoming　greater。　The　idea　of　leaving　school　was　broached　to　his　mother；　but　she　rebelled。　She　told　the　boy　that　he　was　earning　something　now　and　helping　much。　Perhaps　the　tide　with　the　father　would　turn　and　he　would　find　the　place　to　which　his　unquestioned　talents　entitled　him。　Finally　the　father　did。　He　associated　himself　with　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　as　translator；　a　position　for　which　his　easy　command　of　languages　admirably　fitted　him。　Thus；　for　a　time；　the　strain　upon　the　family　exchequer　was　lessened。

But　the　American　spirit　of　initiative　had　entered　deep　into　the　soul　of　Edward　Bok。　The　brother　had　left　school　a　year　before；　and　found　a　place　as　messenger　in　a　lawyer's　office；　and　when　one　evening　Edward　heard　his　father　say　that　the　office　boy　in　his　department　had　left；　he　asked　that　he　be　allowed　to　leave　school；　apply　for　the　open　position；　and　get　the　rest　of　his　education　in　the　great　world　itself。　It　was　not　easy　for　the　parents　to　see　the　younger　son　leave　school　at　so　early　an　age；　but　the　earnestness　of　the　boy　prevailed。

And　so；　at　the　age　of　thirteen；　Edward　Bok　left　school；　and　on　Monday；　August　7；　1876；　he　became　office　boy　in　the　electricians'　department　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　at　six　dollars　and　twenty…five　cents　per　week。

And；