the americanization of edward bok-第65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！


ent　in　a　newspaper　interview。　Unfortunately　for　her　best　judgment；　and　the　strength　of　her　argument；　the　attack　became　intensely　personal；　and　of　course；　nullified　its　force。　But　it　irritated　Mr。　Cleveland；　who　called　Bok　to　his　Princeton　home　and　read　him　a　draft　of　a　proposed　answer　for　publication　in　Bok's　magazine。

Those　who　knew　Mr。　Cleveland　were　well　aware　of　the　force　that　he　could　put　into　his　pen　when　he　chose；　and　in　this　proposed　article　he　certainly　chose！　It　would　have　made　very　unpleasant　reading　for　Miss　Anthony　in　particular；　as　well　as　for　her　friends。　Bok　argued　strongly　against　the　article。　He　reminded　Mr。　Cleveland　that　it　would　be　undignified　to　make　such　an　answer；　that　it　was　always　an　unpopular　thing　to　attack　a　woman　in　public；　especially　a　woman　who　was　old　and　ill；　that　she　would　again　strive　for　the　last　word；　that　there　would　be　no　point　to　the　controversy　and　nothing　gained　by　it。　He　pleaded　with　Mr。　Cleveland　to　meet　Miss　Anthony's　attack　by　a　dignified　silence。

These　arguments　happily　prevailed。　In　reality；　Mr。　Cleveland　was　not　keen　to　attack　Miss　Anthony　or　any　other　woman；　such　a　thought　was　foreign　to　his　nature。　He　summed　up　his　feeling　to　Bok　when　he　tore　up　the　draft　of　his　article　and　smilingly　said：　〃Well；　I've　got　if　off　my　chest；　that　is　the　main　thing。　I　wanted　to　get　it　out　of　my　system；　and　talking　it　over　has　driven　it　out。　It　is　better　in　the　fire；〃　and　he　threw　the　torn　paper　into　the　open　grate。

As　events　turned　out；　it　was　indeed　fortunate　that　the　matter　had　been　so　decided；　for　the　article　would　have　appeared　in　the　number　of　Bok's　magazine　published　on　the　day　that　Miss　Anthony　passed　away。　It　would　have　been　a　most　unfortunate　moment；　to　say　the　least；　for　the　appearance　of　an　attack　such　as　Mr。　Cleveland　had　in　mind。

This　incident；　like　so　many　instances　that　might　be　adduced；　points　with　singular　force　to　the　value　of　that　editorial　discrimination　which　the　editor　often　makes　between　what　is　wise　or　unwise　for　him　to　publish。　Bok　realized　that　had　he　encouraged　Mr。　Cleveland　to　publish　the　article；　he　could　have　exhausted　any　edition　he　might　have　chosen　to　print。　Times　without　number；　editors　make　such　decisions　directly　against　what　would　be　of　temporary　advantage　to　their　publications。　The　public　never　hears　of　these　incidents。

More　often　than　not　the　editor　hears　〃stories〃　that；　if　printed；　would　be　a　〃scoop〃　which　would　cause　his　publication　to　be　talked　about　from　one　end　of　the　country　to　the　other。　The　public　does　not　give　credit　to　the　editor；　particularly　of　the　modern　newspaper；　for　the　high　code　of　honor　which　constantly　actuates　him　in　his　work。　The　prevailing　notion　is　that　an　editor　prints　all　that　he　knows；　and　much　that　he　does　not　know。　Outside　of　those　in　the　inner　government　circles；　no　group　of　men；　during　the　Great　War；　had　more　information　of　a　confidential　nature　constantly　given　or　brought　to　them；　and　more　zealously　guarded　it；　than　the　editors　of　the　newspapers　of　America。　Among　no　other　set　of　professional　men　is　the　code　of　honor　so　high；　and　woe　betide　the　journalist　who；　in　the　eyes　of　his　fellow…workers；　violates；　even　in　the　slightest　degree；　that　code　of　editorial　ethics。　Public　men　know　how　true　is　this　statement；　the　public　at　large；　however；　has　not　the　first　conception　of　it。　If　it　had；　it　would　have　a　much　higher　opinion　of　its　periodicals　and　newspapers。

At　this　juncture；　Rudyard　Kipling　unconsciously　came　into　the　very　centre　of　the　suffragists'　maelstrom　of　attack　when　he　sent　Bok　his　famous　poem：　〃The　Female　of　the　Species。〃　The　suffragists　at　once　took　the　argument　in　the　poem　as　personal　to　themselves；　and　now　Kipling　got　the　full　benefit　of　their　vitriolic　abuse。　Bok　sent　a　handful　of　these　criticisms　to　Kipling；　who　was　very　gleeful　about　them。　〃I　owe　you　a　good　laugh　over　the　clippings；〃　he　wrote。　〃They　were　delightful。　But　what　a　quantity　of　spare　time　some　people　in　this　world　have　to　burn！〃

It　was　a　merry　time；　and　the　longer　it　continued　the　more　heated　were　the　attacks。　The　suffragists　now　had　a　number　of　targets；　and　they　took　each　in　turn　and　proceeded　to　riddle　it。　That　Bok　was　publishing　articles　explaining　both　sides　of　the　question；　presenting　arguments　by　the　leading　suffragists　as　well　as　known　anti…suffragists；　did　not　matter　in　the　least。　These　were　either　conveniently　overlooked；　or；　when　referred　to　at　all；　were　considered　in　the　light　of　〃sops〃　to　the　offended　women。

At　last　Bok　reached　the　stage　where　he　had　exhausted　all　the　arguments　worth　printing；　on　both　sides　of　the　question；　and　soon　the　storm　calmed　down。

It　was　always　a　matter　of　gratification　to　him　that　the　woman　who　had　most　bitterly　assailed　him　during　the　suffrage　controversy；　Anna　Howard　Shaw；　became　in　later　years　one　of　his　stanchest　friends；　and　was　an　editor　on　his　pay…roll。　When　the　United　States　entered　the　Great　War；　Bok　saw　that　Doctor　Shaw　had　undertaken　a　gigantic　task　in　promising；　as　chairman；　to　direct　the　activities　of　the　National　Council　for　Women。　He　went　to　see　her　in　Washington；　and　offered　his　help　and　that　of　the　magazine。　Doctor　Shaw；　kindliest　of　women　in　her　nature；　at　once　accepted　the　offer；　Bok　placed　the　entire　resources　of　the　magazine　and　of　its　Washington　editorial　force　at　her　disposal；　and　all　through　America's　participation　in　the　war；　she　successfully　conducted　a　monthly　department　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。

〃Such　help；〃　she　wrote　at　the　close；　〃as　you　and　your　associates　have　extended　me　and　my　co…workers；　such　unstinted　co…operation　and　such　practical　guidance　I　never　should　have　dreamed　possible。　You　made　your　magazine　a　living　force　in　our　work；　we　do　not　see　now　how　we　would　have　done　without　it。　You　came　into　our　activities　at　the　psychological　moment；　when　we　most　needed　what　you　could　give　us；　and　none　could　have　given　with　more　open　hands　and　fuller　hearts。〃

So　the　contending　forces　in　a　bitter　word…war　came　together　and　worked　together；　and　a　mutual　regard　sprang　up　between　the　woman　and　the　man　who　had　once　so　radically　differed。



XXVIII。　Going　Home　with　Kipling；　and　as　a　Lecturer

It　was　in　June；　1899；　when　Rudyard　Kipling；　after　the　loss　of　his　daughter　and　his　own　almost　fatal　illness　from　pneumonia　in　America；　sailed　for　his　English　home　on　the　White　Star　liner；　Teutonic。　The　party　consisted　of　Kipling；　his　wife；　his　father　J。　Lockwood　Kipling；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Frank　N。　Doubleday；　and　Bok。　It　was　only　at　the　last　moment　that　Bok　decided　to　join　the　party；　and　the　steamer　having　its　full　complement　of　passengers；　he　could　only　secure　one　of　the　officers'　large　rooms　on　the　upper　deck。　Owing　to　the　sensitive　condition　of　Kipling's　lungs；　it　was　not　wise　for　him　to　be　out　on　deck　except　in　the　most　favorable　weather。　The　atmosphere　of　the　smoking…room　was　forbidding；　and　as　the　rooms　of　the　rest　of　the　party　were　below　deck；　it　was　decided　to　make　Bok's　convenient　room　the　headquarters　of　the　party。　Here　they　assembled　for　the　best　part　of　each　day；　the　talk　ranged　over　literary　and　publishing　matters　of　mutual　interest；　and　Kipling　promptly　labelled　the　room　〃The　Hatchery；〃from　the　plans　and　schemes　that　were　hatched　during　these　discussions。

It　was　decid