the americanization of edward bok-第6节

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eye　was　on　him；　wondering　why　he　should　be　there。

What　he　ate　and　what　he　said　he　does　not　recall。　General　Grant；　not　a　voluble　talker　himself；　gently　drew　the　boy　out；　and　Mrs。　Grant　seconded　him；　until　toward　the　close　of　the　dinner　he　heard　himself　talking。　He　remembers　that　he　heard　his　voice；　but　what　that　voice　said　is　all　dim　to　him。　One　act　stamped　itself　on　his　mind。　The　dinner　ended　with　a　wonderful　dish　of　nuts　and　raisins；　and　just　before　the　party　rose　from　the　table　Mrs。　Grant　asked　the　waiter　to　bring　her　a　paper　bag。　Into　this　she　emptied　the　entire　dish；　and　at　the　close　of　the　evening　she　gave　it　to　Edward　〃to　eat　on　the　way　home。〃　It　was　a　wonderful　evening；　afterward　up…stairs；　General　Grant　smoking　the　inevitable　cigar；　and　telling　stories　as　he　read　the　letters　of　different　celebrities。　Over　those　of　Confederate　generals　he　grew　reminiscent；　and　when　he　came　to　a　letter　from　General　Sherman；　Edward　remembers　that　he　chuckled　audibly；　reread　it；　and　then　turning　to　Mrs。　Grant；　said：　〃Julia；　listen　to　this　from　Sherman。　Not　bad。〃　The　letter　he　read　was　this：

〃Dear　Mr。　Bok：

〃I　prefer　not　to　make　scraps　of　sentimental　writing。　When　I　write　anything　I　want　it　to　be　real　and　connected　in　form；　as；　for　instance；　in　your　quotation　from　Lord　Lytton's　play　of　'Richelieu；'　'The　pen　is　mightier　than　the　sword。'　Lord　Lytton　would　never　have　put　his　signature　to　so　naked　a　sentiment。　Surely　I　will　not。

〃In　the　text　there　was　a　prefix　or　qualification：

　　〃Beneath　the　rule　of　men　entirely　great　　　The　pen　is　mightier　than　the　sword。

〃Now；　this　world　does　not　often　present　the　condition　of　facts　herein　described。　Men　entirely　great　are　very　rare　indeed；　and　even　Washington；　who　approached　greatness　as　near　as　any　mortal；　found　good　use　for　the　sword　and　the　pen；　each　in　its　proper　sphere。

〃You　and　I　have　seen　the　day　when　a　great　and　good　man　ruled　this　country　（Lincoln）　who　wielded　a　powerful　and　prolific　pen；　and　yet　had　to　call　to　his　assistance　a　million　of　flaming　swords。

〃No；　I　cannot　subscribe　to　your　sentiment；　'The　pen　is　mightier　than　the　sword；'　which　you　ask　me　to　write；　because　it　is　not　true。

〃Rather；　in　the　providence　of　God；　there　is　a　time　for　all　things；　a　time　when　the　sword　may　cut　the　Gordian　knot；　and　set　free　the　principles　of　right　and　justice；　bound　up　in　the　meshes　of　hatred；　revenge；　and　tyranny；　that　the　pens　of　mighty　men　like　Clay；　Webster；　Crittenden；　and　Lincoln　were　unable　to　disentangle。

〃Wishing　you　all　success；　I　am；　with　respect；　your　friend；

〃W。　T。　Sherman。〃

Mrs。　Grant　had　asked　Edward　to　send　her　a　photograph　of　himself；　and　after　one　had　been　taken；　the　boy　took　it　to　the　Fifth　Avenue　Hotel；　intending　to　ask　the　clerk　to　send　it　to　her　room。　Instead；　he　met　General　and　Mrs。　Grant　just　coming　from　the　elevator；　going　out　to　dinner。　The　boy　told　them　his　errand；　and　said　he　would　have　the　photograph　sent　up…stairs。

〃I　am　so　sorry　we　are　just　going　out　to　dinner；〃　said　Mrs。　Grant；　〃for　the　general　had　some　excellent　photographs　just　taken　of　himself；　and　he　signed　one　for　you；　and　put　it　aside；　intending　to　send　it　to　you　when　yours　came。〃　Then；　turning　to　the　general；　she　said：　〃Ulysses；　send　up　for　it。　We　have　a　few　moments。〃

〃I'll　go　and　get　it。　I　know　just　where　it　is；〃　returned　the　general。　〃Let　me　have　yours；〃　he　said；　turning　to　Edward。　〃I　am　glad　to　exchange　photographs　with　you；　boy。〃

To　Edward's　surprise；　when　the　general　returned　he　brought　with　him；　not　a　duplicate　of　the　small　carte…de…visite　size　which　he　had　given　the　generalall　that　he　could　affordbut　a　large；　full　cabinet　size。

〃They　make　'em　too　big；〃　said　the　general；　as　he　handed　it　to　Edward。

But　the　boy　didn't　think　so！

That　evening　was　one　that　the　boy　was　long　to　remember。　It　suddenly　came　to　him　that　he　had　read　a　few　days　before　of　Mrs。　Abraham　Lincoln's　arrival　in　New　York　at　Doctor　Holbrook's　sanitarium。　Thither　Edward　went；　and　within　half　an　hour　from　the　time　he　had　been　talking　with　General　Grant　he　was　sitting　at　the　bedside　of　Mrs。　Lincoln；　showing　her　the　wonderful　photograph　just　presented　to　him。　Edward　saw　that　the　widow　of　the　great　Lincoln　did　not　mentally　respond　to　his　pleasure　in　his　possession。　It　was　apparent　even　to　the　boy　that　mental　and　physical　illness　had　done　their　work　with　the　frail　frame。　But　he　had　the　memory；　at　least；　of　having　got　that　close　to　the　great　President。

　　Mrs。　Abraham　Lincoln；　October　13th　1881

The　eventful　evening；　however；　was　not　yet　over。　Edward　had　boarded　a　Broadway　stage　to　take　him　to　his　Brooklyn　home　when；　glancing　at　the　newspaper　of　a　man　sitting　next　to　him；　he　saw　the　headline：　〃Jefferson　Davis　arrives　in　New　York。〃　He　read　enough　to　see　that　the　Confederate　President　was　stopping　at　the　Metropolitan　Hotel；　in　lower　Broadway；　and　as　he　looked　out　of　the　stage…window　the　sign　〃Metropolitan　Hotel〃　stared　him　in　the　face。　In　a　moment　he　was　out　of　the　stage；　he　wrote　a　little　note；　asked　the　clerk　to　send　it　to　Mr。　Davis；　and　within　five　minutes　was　talking　to　the　Confederate　President　and　telling　of　his　remarkable　evening。

Mr。　Davis　was　keenly　interested　in　the　coincidence　and　in　the　boy　before　him。　He　asked　about　the　famous　collection；　and　promised　to　secure　for　Edward　a　letter　written　by　each　member　of　the　Confederate　Cabinet。　This　he　subsequently　did。　Edward　remained　with　Mr。　Davis　until　ten　o'clock；　and　that　evening　brought　about　an　interchange　of　letters　between　the　Brooklyn　boy　and　Mr。　Davis　at　Beauvoir；　Mississippi；　that　lasted　until　the　latter　passed　away。

Edward　was　fast　absorbing　a　tremendous　quantity　of　biographical　information　about　the　most　famous　men　and　women　of　his　time；　and　he　was　compiling　a　collection　of　autograph　letters　that　the　newspapers　had　made　famous　throughout　the　country。　He　was　ruminating　over　his　possessions　one　day；　and　wondering　to　what　practical　use　he　could　put　his　collection；　for　while　it　was　proving　educative　to　a　wonderful　degree；　it　was；　after　all；　a　hobby；　and　a　hobby　means　expense。　His　autograph　quest　cost　him　stationery；　postage；　car…fareall　outgo。　But　it　had　brought　him　no　income；　save　a　rich　mental　revenue。　And　the　boy　and　his　family　needed　money。　He　did　not　know；　then；　the　value　of　a　background。

He　was　thinking　along　this　line　in　a　restaurant　when　a　man　sitting　next　to　him　opened　a　box　of　cigarettes；　and　taking　a　picture　out　of　it　threw　it　on　the　floor。　Edward　picked　it　up；　thinking　it　might　be　a　〃prospect〃　for　his　collection　of　autograph　letters。　It　was　the　picture　of　a　well…known　actress。　He　then　recalled　an　advertisement　announcing　that　this　particular　brand　of　cigarettes　contained；　in　each　package；　a　lithographed　portrait　of　some　famous　actor　or　actress；　and　that　if　the　purchaser　would　collect　these　he　would；　in　the　end；　have　a　valuable　album　of　the　greatest　actors　and　actresses　of　the　day。　Edward　turned　the　picture　over；　only　to　find　a　blank　reverse　side。　〃All　very　well；〃　he　thought；　〃but　what　does　a　purchaser　have；　after　all；　in　the　end；　but　a　lot　of　pictures？　Why　don't　they　use　the　back　of　each　picture；　and　tell　what　each　did：　a　little　biography？　Then　it　would　be　worth　keeping。〃　With　his　passion　for　self…education；　the　idea　appealed　very　strongly　to　him；　and　believing　firmly　that　there　were　others　possessed　of　the　same　thirst；　he　set　out　the　next　day；　in　his　luncheon　hour；　to　find　out　who　made　the　picture。

At　the　office　of　the　cigarette　company　he　learned　that　the　making　of　the　pictures　was　in　the　hands　of　the　Knapp　Lithographic　Company。　The　following　luncheon　hour；　Edward　sought　the　offices　of　the　company；　and　explained　his　idea　to　Mr。　Joseph　P。　Knapp；　now　the　president　of　the　American　Lithograph　Company。

〃I'll　give　you　ten　dollars　apiece　if　you　will　write　me　a　one…hundred…word　biography　of　one　hundred　famous　Americans；〃　was　Mr。　Knapp's　instant　reply。　〃Send　me　a　list；　and　group　them；　as；　for　instance：　presidents　and　vice…presidents；　famous　soldiers；　actors；　authors；　etc。〃

〃And　thus；〃　says　Mr。　Knapp；　as　he　tells　the　tale　today；　〃I　gave　Edward　Bok　his　first　literary　commission；　and　started　him　off　on　his　literary　career。〃

And　it　is　true。

But　Edward　soon　found　the　Lithograph　Company　calling　for　〃copy；〃　and；　write　as　he　might；　he　could　not　supply　the　biographies　fast　enough。　He；　at　last；　completed　the　first　hundred；　and　so　instantaneous　was　their　success　that　Mr。　Knapp　called　for　a　second　hundred；　and　then　for　a　third。　Finding　that　one　hand　was　not　equal　to　the　task；　Edward　offered　his　brother　five　dollars　for　each　biography；　he　made　the　same　offer　to　one　or　two　journalists　whom　he　knew　and　whose　accuracy　he　could　trust；　and　he　was　speedily　convinced　that　merely　to　edit　biographies　written　by　others；　at　one…half　the　price　paid　to　him；　was　more　profitable　than　to　write　himself。

So　with　five　journalists　working　at　top　speed　to　supply　the　hungry　lithograph　presses；　Mr。　Knapp　was　likewise　responsible　for　Edward　Bok's　first　adventure　as　an　editor。　It　was　commercial；　if　you　will；　but　it　was　a　commercial　editing　that　had　a　distinct　educational　value　to　a　large　public。

The　important　point　is　that　Edward　Bok　was　being　led　more　and　more　to　writing　and　to　editorship。



IV。　A　Presidential　Friend　and　a　Boston　Pilgrimage

Edward　Bok　had　n