the americanization of edward bok-第46部分

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　of　mine。　If　they　can　inclose　a　bookseller's　certificate　that　they　have　bought　the　book；　their　case　will　be　very　much　strengthened；　but　I　do　not　insist　upon　this。　In　all　instances　a　card　and　a　stamped　and　directed　envelope　must　be　inclosed。　I　will　never　'add　a　sentiment'　except　in　the　case　of　applicants　who　can　give　me　proof　that　they　have　read　all　my　books；　now　some　thirty　or　forty　in　number。

〃W。　D。　Howells。〃

It　need　hardly　be　added　that　Mr。　Howells's　good　nature　prevented　his　adherence　to　his　rule！

Rudyard　Kipling　is　another　whose　letters　fairly　vibrate　with　personality；　few　men　can　write　more　interestingly；　or；　incidentally；　considering　his　microscopic　handwriting；　say　more　on　a　letter　page。

Bok　was　telling　Kipling　one　day　about　the　scrapple　so　dear　to　the　heart　of　the　Philadelphian　as　a　breakfast　dish。　The　author　had　never　heard　of　it　or　tasted　it；　and　wished　for　a　sample。　So；　upon　his　return　home；　Bok　had　a　Philadelphia　market…man　send　some　of　the　Philadelphia…made　article；　packed　in　ice；　to　Kipling　in　his　English　home。　There　were　several　pounds　of　it　and　Kipling　wrote：

〃By　the　way；　that　scrapplewhich　by　token　is　a　dish　for　the　Godsarrived　in　perfect　condition；　and　I　ate　it　all；　or　as　much　as　I　could　get　hold　of。　I　am　extremely　grateful　for　it。　It's　all　nonsense　about　pig　being　unwholesome。　There　isn't　a　Mary…ache　in　a　barrel　of　scrapple。〃

Then　later　came　this　afterthought：

〃A　noble　dish　is　that　scrapple；　but　don't　eat　three　slices　and　go　to　work　straight　on　top　of　'em。　That's　the　way　to　dyspepsia！

〃P。　S。　I　wish　to　goodness　you'd　give　another　look　at　England　before　long。　It's　quite　a　country；　really　it　is。　Old；　too；　I　believe。〃

It　was　Kipling　who　suggested　that　Bok　should　name　his　Merion　home　〃Swastika。〃　Bok　asked　what　the　author　knew　about　the　mystic　sign：

〃There　is　a　huge　book　（I've　forgotten　the　name；　but　the　Smithsonian　will　know）；〃　he　wrote　back；　〃about　the　Swastika　（pronounced　Swas…ti…ka　to　rhyme　with　'car's　ticker'）；　in　literature；　art；　religion；　dogma；　etc。　I　believe　there　are　two　sorts　of　Swastikas；　one　＇figure＇　and　one　＇figure＇；　one　is　bad；　the　other　is　good；　but　which　is　which　I　know　not　for　sure。　The　Hindu　trader　opens　his　yearly　account…books　with　a　Swastika　as　'an　auspicious　beginning；'　and　all　the　races　of　the　earth　have　used　it。　It's　an　inexhaustible　subject；　and　some　man　in　the　Smithsonian　ought　to　be　full　of　it。　Anyhow；　the　sign　on　the　door　or　the　hearth　should　protect　you　against　fire　and　water　and　thieves。

〃By　this　time　should　have　reached　you　a　Swastika　door…knocker；　which　I　hope　may　fit　in　with　the　new　house　and　the　new　name。　It　was　made　by　a　village…smith；　and　you　will　see　that　it　has　my　initials；　to　which　I　hope　you　will　add　yours；　that　the　story　may　be　complete。

〃We　are　settled　out　here　in　Cape　Town；　eating　strawberries　in　January　and　complaining　of　the　heat；　which　for　the　last　two　days　has　been　a　little　more　than　we　pampered　folk　are　used　to；　say　70？at　night。　But　what　a　lovely　land　it　is；　and　how　superb　are　the　hydrangeas！　Figure　to　yourself　four　acres　of　'em；　all　in　bloom　on　the　hillside　near　our　home！〃

Bok　had　visited　the　Panama　Canal　before　its　completion　and　had　talked　with　the　men；　high　and　low；　working　on　it；　asking　them　how　they　felt　about　President　Roosevelt's　action　in　〃digging　the　Canal　first　and　talking　about　it　afterwards。〃　He　wrote　the　result　of　his　talks　to　Colonel　Roosevelt；　and　received　this　reply：

〃I　shall　always　keep　your　letter；　for　I　shall　want　my　children　and　grandchildren　to　see　it　after　I　am　gone。　I　feel　just　as　you　do　about　the　Canal。　It　is　the　greatest　contribution　I　was　able　to　make　to　my　country；　and　while　I　do　not　believe　my　countrymen　appreciate　this　at　the　moment；　I　am　extremely　pleased　to　know　that　the　men　on　the　Canal　do；　for　they　are　the　men　who　have　done　and　are　doing　the　great　job。　I　am　awfully　pleased　that　you　feel　the　way　you　do。

〃Theodore　Roosevelt。〃

In　1887；　General　William　Tecumseh　Sherman　was　much　talked　about　as　a　candidate　for　the　presidency；　until　his　famous　declaration　came　out：　〃I　will　not　run　if　nominated；　and　will　not　serve　if　elected。〃　During　the　weeks　of　talk；　however；　much　was　said　of　General　Sherman's　religious　views；　some　contending　that　he　was　a　Roman　Catholic；　others　that　he　was　a　Protestant。

Bok　wrote　to　General　Sherman　and　asked　him。　His　answer　was　direct：

〃My　family　is　strongly　Roman　Catholic；　but　I　am　not。　Until　I　ask　some　favor　the　public　has　no　claim　to　question　me　further。〃

When　Mrs。　Sherman　passed　away；　Doctor　T。　DeWitt　Talmage　wrote　General　Sherman　a　note　of　condolence；　and　what　is　perhaps　one　of　the　fullest　expositions　of　his　religious　faith　to　which　he　ever　gave　expression　came　from　him　in　a　most　remarkable　letter；　which　Doctor　Talmage　gave　to　Bok。

〃New　York；　December　12；　1886。

〃My　Dear　Friend：

〃Your　most　tender　epistle　from　Mansfield；　Ohio；　of　December　9　brought　here　last　night　by　your　son　awakens　in　my　brain　a　flood　of　memories。　Mrs。　Sherman　was　by　nature　and　inheritance　an　Irish　Catholic。　Her　grandfather；　Hugh　Boyle；　was　a　highly　educated　classical　scholar；　whom　I　remember　well；married　the　half　sister　of　the　mother　of　James　G。　Blaine　at　Brownsville；　Pa。；　settled　in　our　native　town　Lancaster；　Fairfield　County；　Ohio；　and　became　the　Clerk　of　the　County　Court。　He　had　two　daughters；　Maria　and　Susan。　Maria　became　the　wife　of　Thomas　Ewing；　about　1819；　and　was　the　mother　of　my　wife；　Ellen　Boyle　Ewing。　She　was　so　staunch　to　what　she　believed　the　true　Faith　that　I　am　sure　that　though　she　loved　her　children　better　than　herself；　she　would　have　seen　them　die　with　less　pang；　than　to　depart　from　the　〃Faith。〃　Mr。　Ewing　was　a　great　big　man；　an　intellectual　giant；　and　looked　down　on　religion　as　something　domestic；　something　consoling　which　ought　to　be　encouraged；　and　to　him　it　made　little　difference　whether　the　religion　was　Methodist；　Presbyterian；　Baptist；　or　Catholic；　provided　the　acts　were　'half　as　good'　as　their　professions。

〃In　1829　my　father；　a　Judge　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　Ohio；　died　at　Lebanon　away　from　home；　leaving　his　widow；　Mary　Hoyt　of　Norwalk；　Conn。　（sister　to　Charles　and　James　Hoyt　of　Brooklyn）　with　a　frame　house　in　Lancaster；　an　income　of　200　a　year　and　eleven　as　hungry；　rough；　and　uncouth　children　as　ever　existed　on　earth。　But　father　had　been　kind；　generous；　manly　with　a　big　heart；　and　when　it　ceased　to　beat　friends　turned　upOur　Uncle　Stoddard　took　Charles；　the　oldest；　W。　I。　married　the　next；　Elisabeth　（still　living）；　Amelia　was　soon　married　to　a　merchant　in　Mansfield；　McCorab；　I；　the　third　son；　was　adopted　by　Thomas　Ewing；　a　neighbor；　and　John　fell　to　his　namesake　in　Mt。　Vernon；　a　merchant。

〃Surely　'Man　proposes　and　God　disposes。'　I　could　fill　a　hundred　pages；　but　will　not　bore　you。　A　half　century　has　passed　and　you；　a　Protestant　minister；　write　me　a　kind；　affectionate　letter　about　my　Catholic　wife　from　Mansfield；　one　of　my　family　homes；　where　my　mother；　Mary　Hoyt；　died；　and　where　our　Grandmother；　Betsey　Stoddard；　lies　buried。　Oh；　what　a　flood　of　memories　come　up　at　the　name　of　Betsey　Stoddard；daughter　of　the　Revd。　Mr。　Stoddard；　who　preached　three　times　every　Sunday；　and　as　often　in　between　as　he　could　cajole　a　congregation　at　ancient　Woodbury；　Conn。；who　came　d