the americanization of edward bok-第24部分

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Edward　Bok　now　became　convinced；　from　his　book…publishing　association；　that　if　the　American　women　were　not　reading　the　newspapers；　the　American　public；　as　a　whole；　was　not　reading　the　number　of　books　that　it　should；　considering　the　intelligence　and　wealth　of　the　people；　and　the　cheap　prices　at　which　books　were　sold。　He　concluded　to　see　whether　he　could　not　induce　the　newspapers　to　give　larger　and　more　prominent　space　to　the　news　of　the　book　world。

Owing　to　his　constant　contact　with　authors；　he　was　in　a　peculiarly　fortunate　position　to　know　their　plans　in　advance　of　execution；　and　he　was　beginning　to　learn　the　ins　and　outs　of　the　book…publishing　world。　He　canvassed　the　newspapers　subscribing　to　his　syndicate　features；　but　found　a　disinclination　to　give　space　to　literary　news。　To　the　average　editor；　purely　literary　features　held　less　of　an　appeal　than　did　the　features　for　women。　Fewer　persons　were　interested　in　books；　they　declared；　besides；　the　publishing　houses　were　not　so　liberal　advertisers　as　the　department　stores。　The　whole　question　rested　on　a　commercial　basis。

Edward　believed　he　could　convince　editors　of　the　public　interest　in　a　newsy；　readable　New　York　literary　letter；　and　he　prevailed　upon　the　editor　of　the　New　York　Star　to　allow　him　to　supplement　the　book　reviews　of　George　Parsons　Lathrop　in　that　paper　by　a　column　of　literary　chat　called　〃Literary　Leaves。〃　For　a　number　of　weeks　he　continued　to　write　this　department；　and　confine　it　to　the　New　York　paper；　feeling　that　he　needed　the　experience　for　the　acquirement　of　a　readable　style；　and　he　wanted　to　be　sure　that　he　had　opened　a　sufficient　number　of　productive　news　channels　to　ensure　a　continuous　flow　of　readable　literary　information。

Occasionally　he　sent　to　an　editor　here　and　there　what　he　thought　was　a　particularly　newsy　letter　just　〃for　his　information；　not　for　sale。〃　The　editor　of　the　Philadelphia　Times　was　the　first　to　discover　that　his　paper　wanted　the　letter；　and　the　Boston　Journal　followed　suit。　Then　the　editor　of　the　Cincinnati　Times…Star　discovered　the　letter　in　the　New　York　Star；　and　asked　that　it　be　supplied　weekly　with　the　letter。　These　newspapers　renamed　the　letter　〃Bok's　Literary　Leaves；〃　and　the　feature　started　on　its　successful　career。

Edward　had　been　in　the　employ　of　Henry　Holt　and　Company　as　clerk　and　stenographer　for　two　years　when　Mr。　Cary　sent　for　him　and　told　him　that　there　was　an　opening　in　the　publishing　house　of　Charles　Scribner's　Sons；　if　he　wanted　to　make　a　change。　Edward　saw　at　once　the　larger　opportunities　possible　in　a　house　of　the　importance　of　the　Scribners；　and　he　immediately　placed　himself　in　communication　with　Mr。　Charles　Scribner；　with　the　result　that　in　January；　1884；　he　entered　the　employ　of　these　publishers　as　stenographer　to　the　two　members　of　the　firm　and　to　Mr。　Edward　L。　Burlingame；　literary　adviser　to　the　house。　He　was　to　receive　a　salary　of　eighteen　dollars　and　thirty…three　cents　per　week；　which　was　then　considered　a　fair　wage　for　stenographic　work。　The　typewriter　had　at　that　time　not　come　into　use；　and　all　letters　were　written　in　long…hand。　Once　more　his　legible　handwriting　had　secured　for　him　a　position。

Edward　Bok　was　now　twenty…one　years　of　age。　He　had　already　done　a　prodigious　amount　of　work　for　a　boy　of　his　years。　He　was　always　busy。　Every　spare　moment　of　his　evenings　was　devoted　either　to　writing　his　literary　letter；　to　the　arrangement　or　editing　of　articles　for　his　newspaper　syndicate；　to　the　steady　acquirement　of　autograph　letters　in　which　he　still　persisted；　or　to　helping　Mr。　Beecher　in　his　literary　work。　The　Plymouth　pastor　was　particularly　pleased　with　Edward's　successful　exploitation　of　his　pen　work；　and　he　afterward　wrote：　〃Bok　is　the　only　man　who　ever　seemed　to　make　my　literary　work　go　and　get　money　out　of　it。〃

Enterprise　and　energy　the　boy　unquestionably　possessed；　but　one　need　only　think　back　even　thus　far　in　his　life　to　see　the　continuous　good　fortune　which　had　followed　him　in　the　friendships　he　had　made；　and　in　the　men　with　whom　his　life；　at　its　most　formative　period；　had　come　into　close　contact。　If　we　are　inclined　to　credit　young　Bok　with　an　ever…willingness　to　work　and　a　certain　quality　of　initiative；　the　influences　which　played　upon　him　must　also　be　taken　into　account。

Take；　for　example；　the　peculiarly　fortuitous　circumstances　under　which　he　entered　the　Scribner　publishing　house。　As　stenographer　to　the　two　members　of　the　firm；　Bok　was　immediately　brought　into　touch　with　the　leading　authors　of　the　day；　their　works　as　they　were　discussed　in　the　correspondence　dictated　to　him；　and　the　authors'　terms　upon　which　books　were　published。　In　fact；　he　was　given　as　close　an　insight　as　it　was　possible　for　a　young　man　to　get　into　the　inner　workings　of　one　of　the　large　publishing　houses　in　the　United　States；　with　a　list　peculiarly　noted　for　the　distinction　of　its　authors　and　the　broad　scope　of　its　books。

The　Scribners　had　the　foremost　theological　list　of　all　the　publishing　houses；　its　educational　list　was　exceptionally　strong；　its　musical　list　excelled；　its　fiction　represented　the　leading　writers　of　the　day；　its　general　list　was　particularly　noteworthy；　and　its　foreign　department；　importing　the　leading　books　brought　out　in　Great　Britain　and　Europe；　was　an　outstanding　feature　of　the　business。　The　correspondence　dictated　to　Bok　covered；　naturally；　all　these　fields；　and　a　more　remarkable　opportunity　for　self…education　was　never　offered　a　stenographer。

Mr。　Burlingame　was　known　in　the　publishing　world　for　his　singularly　keen　literary　appreciation；　and　was　accepted　as　one　of　the　best　judges　of　good　fiction。　Bok　entered　the　Scribner　employ　as　Mr。　Burlingame　was　selecting　the　best　short　stories　published　within　a　decade　for　a　set　of　books　to　be　called　〃Short　Stories　by　American　Authors。〃　The　correspondence　for　this　series　was　dictated　to　Bok；　and　he　decided　to　read　after　Mr。　Burlingame　and　thus　get　an　idea　of　the　best　fiction　of　the　day。　So　whenever　his　chief　wrote　to　an　author　asking　for　permission　to　include　his　story　in　the　proposed　series；　Bok　immediately　hunted　up　the　story　and　read　it。

Later；　when　the　house　decided　to　start　Scribner's　Magazine；　and　Mr。　Burlingame　was　selected　to　be　its　editor；　all　the　preliminary　correspondence　was　dictated　to　Bok　through　his　employers；　and　he　received　a　firsthand　education　in　the　setting　up　of　the　machinery　necessary　for　the　publication　of　a　magazine。　All　this　he　eagerly　absorbed。

He　was　again　fortunate　in　that　his　desk　was　placed　in　the　advertising　department　of　the　house；　and　here　he　found；　as　manager；　an　old…time　Brooklyn　boy　friend　with　whom　he　had　gone　to　school：　Frank　N。　Doubleday；　to…day　the　senior　partner　of　Doubleday；　Page　and　Company。　Bok　had　been　attracted　to　advertising　through　his　theatre　programme　and　Brooklyn　Magazine　experience；　and　here　was　presented　a　chance　to　learn　the　art　at　first　hand　and　according　to　the　best　traditions。　So；　whenever　his　stenographic　work　permitted；　he　assisted　Mr。　Doubleday　in　preparing　and　placing　the　advertisements　of　the　books　of　the　house。

Mr。　Doubleday　was　just　reviving　the　publication　of　a　house…organ　called　The　Book　Buyer；　and；　given　a　chance　to　help　in　this；　Bok　felt　he　was　getting　back　into　the　periodical