the americanization of edward bok-第55节

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ghtable。〃

〃Has　the　American　woman　no　instinct　of　patriotism；　then？〃　asked　Bok。

〃Not　the　least；〃　was　the　answer；　〃when　it　comes　to　her　adornment。　What　Paris　says；　she　will　do；　blindly　and　unintelligently　if　you　will；　but　she　will　do　it。　She　will　sacrifice　her　patriotism；　she　will　even　justify　a　possible　disregard　of　the　decencies。　Look　at　the　present　Parisian　styles。　They　are　absolutely　indecent。　Women　know　it；　but　they　follow　them　just　the　same；　and　they　will。　It　is　all　very　unpleasant　to　say　this；　but　it　is　the　truth　and　you　will　find　it　out。　Your　effort；　fine　as　it　is；　will　bear　no　fruit。〃

Wherever　Bok　went；　women　upon　whose　judgment　he　felt　he　could　rely；　told　him；　in　effect；　the　same　thing。　They　were　all　regretful；　in　some　cases　ashamed　of　their　sex；　universally　apologetic；　but　one　and　all　declared　that　such　is　〃the　feminine　nature；〃　and　Bok　would　only　have　his　trouble　for　nothing。

And　so　it　proved。　For　a　period；　the　retail　shops　were　more　careful　in　the　number　of　genuine　French　models　of　gowns　and　hats　which　they　exhibited；　and　the　label　firm　confessed　that　its　trade　had　fallen　off。　But　this　was　only　temporary。　Within　a　year　after　The　Journal　stopped　the　campaign；　baffled　and　beaten；　the　trade　in　French　labels　was　greater　than　ever；　hundreds　of　French　models　were　sold　that　had　never　crossed　the　ocean；　the　American　woman　was　being　hoodwinked　on　every　hand；　and　the　reign　of　the　French　couturier　was　once　more　supreme。

There　was　no　disguising　the　fact　that　the　case　was　hopeless；　and　Bok　recognized　and　accepted　the　inevitable。　He　had；　at　least；　the　satisfaction　of　having　made　an　intelligent　effort　to　awaken　the　American　woman　to　her　unintelligent　submission。　But　she　refused　to　be　awakened。　She　preferred　to　be　a　tool：　to　be　made　a　fool　of。

Bok's　probe　into　the　feminine　nature　had　been　keenly　disappointing。　He　had　earnestly　tried　to　serve　the　American　woman；　and　he　had　failed。　But　he　was　destined　to　receive　a　still　greater　and　deeper　disappointment　on　his　next　excursion　into　the　feminine　nature；　although；　this　time；　he　was　to　win。

During　his　investigations　into　women's　fashions；　he　had　unearthed　the　origin　of　the　fashionable　aigrette；　the　most　desired　of　all　the　feathered　possessions　of　womankind。　He　had　been　told　of　the　cruel　torture　of　the　mother…heron；　who　produced　the　beautiful　aigrette　only　in　her　period　of　maternity　and　who　was　cruelly　slaughtered；　usually　left　to　die　slowly　rather　than　killed；　leaving　her　whole　nest　of　baby…birds　to　starve　while　they　awaited　the　return　of　the　mother…bird。

Bok　was　shown　the　most　heart…rending　photographs　portraying　the　butchery　of　the　mother　and　the　starvation　of　her　little　ones。　He　collected　all　the　photographs　that　he　could　secure；　had　the　most　graphic　text　written　to　them；　and　began　their　publication。　He　felt　certain　that　the　mere　publication　of　the　frightfully　convincing　photographs　would　be　enough　to　arouse　the　mother…instinct　in　every　woman　and　stop　the　wearing　of　the　so…highly　prized　feather。　But　for　the　second　time　in　his　attempt　to　reform　the　feminine　nature　he　reckoned　beside　the　mark。

He　published　a　succession　of　pages　showing　the　frightful　cost　at　which　the　aigrette　was　secured。　There　was　no　challenging　the　actual　facts　as　shown　by　the　photographic　lens：　the　slaughter　of　the　mother…bird；　and　the　starving　baby…birds；　and　the　importers　of　the　feather　wisely　remained　quiet；　not　attempting　to　answer　Bok's　accusations。　Letters　poured　in　upon　the　editor　from　Audubon　Society　workers；　from　lovers　of　birds；　and　from　women　filled　with　the　humanitarian　instinct。　But　Bok　knew　that　the　answer　was　not　with　those　few：　the　solution　lay　with　the　larger　circle　of　American　womanhood　from　which　he　did　not　hear。

He　waited　for　results。　They　came。　But　they　were　not　those　for　which　he　had　striven。　After　four　months　of　his　campaign；　he　learned　from　the　inside　of　the　importing…houses　which　dealt　in　the　largest　stocks　of　aigrettes　in　the　United　States　that　the　demand　for　the　feather　had　more　than　quadrupled！　Bok　was　dumbfounded！　He　made　inquiries　in　certain　channels　from　which　he　knew　he　could　secure　the　most　reliable　information；　and　after　all　the　importers　had　been　interviewed；　the　conviction　was　unescapable　that　just　in　proportion　as　Bok　had　dwelt　upon　the　desirability　of　the　aigrette　as　the　hallmark　of　wealth　and　fashion；　upon　its　expense；　and　the　fact　that　women　regarded　it　as　the　last　word　in　feminine　adornment；　he　had　by　so　much　made　these　facts　familiar　to　thousands　of　women　who　had　never　before　known　of　them；　and　had　created　the　desire　to　own　one　of　the　precious　feathers。

Bok　could　not　and　would　not　accept　these　conclusions。　It　seemed　to　him　incredible　that　women　would　go　so　far　as　this　in　the　question　of　personal　adornment。　He　caused　the　increased　sales　to　be　traced　from　wholesaler　to　retailer；　and　from　retailer　to　customer；　and　was　amazed　at　the　character　and　standing　of　the　latter。　He　had　a　number　of　those　buyers　who　lived　in　adjacent　cities；　privately　approached　and　interviewed；　and　ascertained　that；　save　in　two　instances；　they　were　all　his　readers；　had　seen　the　gruesome　pictures　he　had　presented；　and　then　had　deliberately　purchased　the　coveted　aigrette。

Personally　again　he　sought　the　most　intelligent　of　his　woman…friends；　talked　with　scores　of　others；　and　found　himself　facing　the　same　trait　in　feminine　nature　which　he　had　encountered　in　his　advocacy　of　American　fashions。　But　this　time　it　seemed　to　Bok　that　the　facts　he　had　presented　went　so　much　deeper。

〃It　will　be　hard　for　you　to　believe；〃　said　one　of　his　most　trusted　woman…friends。　〃I　grant　your　arguments：　there　is　no　gainsaying　them。　But　you　are　fighting　the　same　thing　again　that　you　do　not　understand：　the　feminine　nature　that　craves　outer　adornment　will　secure　it　at　any　cost；　even　at　the　cost　of　suffering。〃

〃Yes；〃　argued　Bok。　〃But　if　there　is　one　thing　above　everything　else　that　we　believe　a　woman　feels　and　understands；　it　is　the　mother…instinct。　Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　it　means　nothing　to　her　that　these　birds　are　killed　in　their　period　of　motherhood；　and　that　a　whole　nest　of　starving　baby…birds　is　the　price　of　every　aigrette？〃

〃I　won't　say　that　this　does　not　weigh　with　a　woman。　It　does；　naturally。　But　when　it　comes　to　her　possession　of　an　ornament　of　beauty；　as　beautiful　as　the　aigrette；　it　weighs　with　her；　but　it　doesn't　tip　the　scale　against　her　possession　of　it。　I　am　sorry　to　have　to　say　this　to　you；　but　it　is　a　fact。　A　woman　will　regret　that　the　mother…bird　must　be　tortured　and　her　babies　starve；　but　she　will　have　the　aigrette。　She　simply　trains　herself　to　forget　the　origin。

〃Take　my　own　case。　You　will　doubtless　be　shocked　when　I　tell　you　that　I　was　perfectly　aware　of　the　conditions　under　which　the　aigrette　is　obtained　before　you　began　your　exposure　of　the　method。　But　did　it　prevent　my　purchase　of　one？　Not　at　all。　Why？　Because　I　am　a　woman：　I　realize　that　no　head　ornament　will　set　off　my　hair　so　well　as　an　aigrette。　Say　I　am　cruel　if　you　like。　I　wish　the　heron…mother　didn't　have　to　be　killed　or　the　babies　starve；　but；　Mr。　Bok；　I　must　have　my　beautiful　aigrette！〃

Bok　was　frankly　astounded：　he　had　certainly　probed　deep　this　time　into　the　feminine　nature。　With　every　desire　and　instinct　to　disbelieve　the　facts；　the　deeper　his　inquiries　went；　the　stronger　the　evidence　rolled　up：　there　was　no　gainsaying　it；　no　sense　in　a　further　disbelief　of　it。

But　Bok　was　determined　that　this　time　he　would　not　fail。　His　sense　of　justice　and　protection　to　the　mother…bird　and　her　young　was　now　fully　aroused。　He　resolved　that　he　would；　by　compulsion；　bring　about　what　he　had　failed　to　do　by　persuasion。　He　would　make　it　impossible　for　women　to　be　untrue　to　their　most　sacred　instinct。　He　sought　legal　talent；　had　a　bill　drawn　up　making　it　a　misdemeanor　to　import；　sell；　purchase；　or　wear　an　aigrette。　Armed　with　this　measure；　and　the　photographs　and　articles　which　he　had　published；　he　sought　and　obtained　the　interest　and　promise　of　support　of　the　most　influential　legislators　in　several　States。　He　felt　a　sense　of　pride　in　his　own　sex　that　he　had　no　trouble　in　winning　the　immediate　interest　of　every　legislator　with　whom　he　talked。

Where　he　had　failed　with　women；　he　was　succeeding　with　men！　The　outrageous　butchery　of　the　birds　and　the　circumstances　under　which　they　were　tortured　appealed　with　direct　force　to　the　sporting　instinct　in　every　man；　and　aroused　him。　Bok　explained　to　each　that　he　need　expect　no　support　for　such　a　measure　from　women　save　from　the　members　of　the　Audubon　Societies；　and　a　few　humanitarian　women　and　bird…lovers。　Women；　as　a　whole；　he　argued　from　his　experiences；　while　they　would　not　go　so　far　as　openly　to　oppose　such　a　measure；　for　fear　of　public　comment；　would　do　nothing　to　further　its　passage；　for　in　their　hearts　they　preferred　failure　to　success　for　the　legislation。　They　had　frankly　told　him　so：　he　was　not　speaking　from　theory。

In　one　State　after　another　Bok　got　into　touch　with　legislators。　He　counselled；　in　each　case；　a　quiet　passage　for　the　measure　instead　of　one　that　would　draw　public　attention　to　it。

Meanwhile；　a　strong　initiative　had　come　from　the　Audubon　Societies　throughout　the　country；　and　from　the　National　Association　of　Audubon　Societies；　at　New　York。　This　latter　society　also