the americanization of edward bok-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


t　the　principal's　own　desk　and　copy　the　lesson。　He　sat；　but　he　did　not　write。　He　would　not　for　one　thing；　and　he　could　not　if　he　would。　After　half　an　hour　of　purposeless　sitting；　the　principal　ordered　Edward　again　to　stand　up　and　hold　out　his　hand；　and　once　more　the　rattan　fell　in　repeated　blows。　Of　course　it　did　no　good；　and　as　it　was　then　five　o'clock；　and　the　principal　had　inflicted　all　the　punishment　that　the　law　allowed；　and　as　he　probably　wanted　to　go　home　as　much　as　Edward　did；　he　dismissed　the　sore…handed　but　more…than…ever…determined　Dutch　boy。

Edward　went　home　to　his　father；　exhibited　his　swollen　hand；　explained　the　reason；　and　showed　the　penmanship　lesson　which　he　had　refused　to　copy。　It　is　a　singular　fact　that　even　at　that　age　he　already　understood　Americanization　enough　to　realize　that　to　cope　successfully　with　any　American　institution；　one　must　be　constructive　as　well　as　destructive。　He　went　to　his　room；　brought　out　a　specimen　of　Italian　handwriting　which　he　had　seen　in　a　newspaper；　and　explained　to　his　father　that　this　simpler　penmanship　seemed　to　him　better　for　practical　purposes　than　the　curlicue　fancifully　embroidered　Spencerian　style；　that　if　he　had　to　learn　penmanship；　why　not　learn　the　system　that　was　of　more　possible　use　in　after　life？

Now；　your　Dutchman　is　nothing　if　not　practical。　He　is　very　simple　and　direct　in　his　nature；　and　is　very　likely　to　be　equally　so　in　his　mental　view。　Edward's　father　was　distinctly　interestedvery　much　amused；　as　he　confessed　to　the　boy　in　later　yearsin　his　son's　discernment　of　the　futility　of　the　Spencerian　style　of　penmanship。　He　agreed　with　the　boy；　and；　next　morning；　accompanied　him　to　school　and　to　the　principal。　The　two　men　were　closeted　together；　and　when　they　came　out　Edward　was　sent　to　his　classroom。　For　some　weeks　he　was　given　no　penmanship　lessons；　and　then　a　new　copy…book　was　given　him　with　a　much　simpler　style。　He　pounced　upon　it；　and　within　a　short　time　stood　at　the　head　of　his　class　in　writing。

The　same　instinct　that　was　so　often　to　lead　Edward　aright　in　his　future　life；　at　its　very　beginning　served　him　in　a　singularly　valuable　way　in　directing　his　attention　to　the　study　of　penmanship；　for　it　was　through　his　legible　handwriting　that　later；　in　the　absence　of　the　typewriter；　he　was　able　to　secure　and　satisfactorily　fill　three　positions　which　were　to　lead　to　his　final　success。

Years　afterward　Edward　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　public…school　pupils　given　a　choice　of　penmanship　lessons：　one　along　the　flourish　lines　and　the　other　of　a　less　ornate　order。　Of　course；　the　boy　never　associated　the　incident　of　his　refusal　with　the　change　until　later　when　his　mother　explained　to　him　that　the　principal　of　the　school；　of　whom　the　father　had　made　a　warm　friend；　was　so　impressed　by　the　boy's　simple　but　correct　view；　that　he　took　up　the　matter　with　the　board　of　education；　and　a　choice　of　systems　was　considered　and　later　decided　upon。

From　this　it　will　be　seen　that；　unconsciously；　Edward　Bok　had　started　upon　his　career　of　editing！



II。　The　First　Job：　Fifty　Cents　a　Week

The　Elder　Bok　did　not　find　his　〃lines　cast　in　pleasant　places〃　in　the　United　States。　He　found　himself；　professionally；　unable　to　adjust　the　methods　of　his　own　land　and　of　a　lifetime　to　those　of　a　new　country。　As　a　result　the　fortunes　of　the　transplanted　family　did　not　flourish；　and　Edward　soon　saw　his　mother　physically　failing　under　burdens　to　which　her　nature　was　not　accustomed　nor　her　hands　trained。　Then　he　and　his　brother　decided　to　relieve　their　mother　in　the　housework　by　rising　early　in　the　morning；　building　the　fire；　preparing　breakfast；　and　washing　the　dishes　before　they　went　to　school。　After　school　they　gave　up　their　play　hours；　and　swept　and　scrubbed；　and　helped　their　mother　to　prepare　the　evening　meal　and　wash　the　dishes　afterward。　It　was　a　curious　coincidence　that　it　should　fall　upon　Edward　thus　to　get　a　first…hand　knowledge　of　woman's　housework　which　was　to　stand　him　in　such　practical　stead　in　later　years。

It　was　not　easy　for　the　parents　to　see　their　boys　thus　forced　to　do　work　which　only　a　short　while　before　had　been　done　by　a　retinue　of　servants。　And　the　capstone　of　humiliation　seemed　to　be　when　Edward　and　his　brother；　after　having　for　several　mornings　found　no　kindling　wood　or　coal　to　build　the　fire；　decided　to　go　out　of　evenings　with　a　basket　and　pick　up　what　wood　they　could　find　in　neighboring　lots；　and　the　bits　of　coal　spilled　from　the　coal…bin　of　the　grocery…store；　or　left　on　the　curbs　before　houses　where　coal　had　been　delivered。　The　mother　remonstrated　with　the　boys；　although　in　her　heart　she　knew　that　the　necessity　was　upon　them。　But　Edward　had　been　started　upon　his　Americanization　career；　and　answered：　〃This　is　America；　where　one　can　do　anything　if　it　is　honest。　So　long　as　we　don't　steal　the　wood　or　coal；　why　shouldn't　we　get　it？〃　And；　turning　away；　the　saddened　mother　said　nothing。

But　while　the　doing　of　these　homely　chores　was　very　effective　in　relieving　the　untrained　and　tired　mother；　it　added　little　to　the　family　income。　Edward　looked　about　and　decided　that　the　time　had　come　for　him；　young　as　he　was；　to　begin　some　sort　of　wage…earning。　But　how　and　where？　The　answer　he　found　one　afternoon　when　standing　before　the　shop…window　of　a　baker　in　the　neighborhood。　The　owner　of　the　bakery；　who　had　just　placed　in　the　window　a　series　of　trays　filled　with　buns；　tarts；　and　pies；　came　outside　to　look　at　the　display。　He　found　the　hungry　boy　wistfully　regarding　the　tempting…looking　wares。

〃Look　pretty　good；　don't　they？〃　asked　the　baker。

〃They　would；〃　answered　the　Dutch　boy　with　his　national　passion　for　cleanliness；　〃if　your　window　were　clean。〃

〃That's　so；　too；〃　mused　the　baker。　〃Perhaps　you'll　clean　it。〃

〃I　will；〃　was　the　laconic　reply。　And　Edward　Bok；　there　and　then；　got　his　first　job。　He　went　in；　found　a　step…ladder；　and　put　so　much　Dutch　energy　into　the　cleaning　of　the　large　show…window　that　the　baker　immediately　arranged　with　him　to　clean　it　every　Tuesday　and　Friday　afternoon　after　school。　The　salary　was　to　be　fifty　cents　per　week！

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