the americanization of edward bok-第66部分

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The　Hatchery；〃from　the　plans　and　schemes　that　were　hatched　during　these　discussions。

It　was　decided　on　the　first　day　out　that　the　party；　too　active…minded　to　remain　inert　for　any　length　of　time；　should　publish　a　daily　newspaper　to　be　written　on　large　sheets　of　paper　and　to　be　read　each　evening　to　the　group。　It　was　called　The　Teuton　Tonic；　Mr。　Doubleday　was　appointed　publisher　and　advertising　manager；　Mr。　Lockwood　Kipling　was　made　art　editor　to　embellish　the　news；　Rudyard　Kipling　was　the　star　reporter；　and　Bok　was　editor。

Kipling；　just　released　from　his　long　confinement；　like　a　boy　out　of　school；　was　the　life　of　the　partyand　when；　one　day；　he　found　a　woman　aboard　reading　a　copy　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　his　joy　knew　no　bounds；　he　turned　in　the　most　inimitable　〃copy〃　to　the　Tonic；　describing　the　woman's　feelings　as　she　read　the　different　departments　in　the　magazine。　Of　course；　Bok；　as　editor　of　the　Tonic；　promptly　pigeon…holed　the　reporter's　〃copy〃；　then　relented；　and；　in　a　fine　spirit　of　large…mindedness；　〃printed〃　Kipling's　peans　of　rapture　over　Bok's　subscriber。　The　preparation　of　the　paper　was　a　daily　joy：　it　kept　the　different　members　busy；　and　each　evening　the　copy　was　handed　to　〃the　large　circle　of　readers〃the　two　women　of　the　partyto　read　aloud。　At　the　end　of　the　sixth　day；　it　was　voted　to　〃suspend　publication；〃　and　the　daily　of　six　issues　was　unanimously　bequeathed　to　the　little　daughter　of　Mr。　Lockwood　de　Forest；　a　close　friend　of　the　Kipling　familya　choice　bit　of　Kiplingania。

One　day　it　was　decided　by　the　party　that　Bok　should　be　taught　the　game　of　poker；　and　Kipling　at　once　offered　to　be　the　instructor！　He　wrote　out　a　list　of　the　〃hands〃　for　Bok's　guidance；　which　was　placed　in　the　centre　of　the　table；　and　the　party；　augmented　by　the　women；　gathered　to　see　the　game。

A　baby　had　been　born　that　evening　in　the　steerage；　and　it　was　decided　to　inaugurate　a　small　〃jack…pot〃　for　the　benefit　of　the　mother。　All　went　well　until　about　the　fourth　hand；　when　Bok　began　to　bid　higher　than　had　been　originally　planned。　Kipling　questioned　the　beginner's　knowledge　of　the　game　and　his　tactics；　but　Bok　retorted　it　was　his　money　that　he　was　putting　into　the　pot　and　that　no　one　was　compelled　to　follow　his　bets　if　he　did　not　choose　to　do　so。　Finally；　the　jack…pot　assumed　altogether　too　large　dimensions　for　the　party；　Kipling　〃called〃　and　Bok；　true　to　the　old　idea　of　〃beginner's　luck〃　in　cards；　laid　down　a　royal　flush！　This　was　too　much；　and　poker；　with　Bok　in　it；　was　taboo　from　that　moment。　Kipling's　version　of　this　card…playing　does　not　agree　in　all　particulars　with　the　version　here　written。　〃Bok　learned　the　game　of　poker；〃　Kipling　says；　〃had　the　deck　stacked　on　him；　and　on　hearing　that　there　was　a　woman　aboard　who　read　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　insisted　on　playing　after　that　with　the　cabin…door　carefully　shut。〃　But　Kipling's　art　as　a　reporter　for　The　Tonic　was　not　as　reliable　as　the　art　of　his　more　careful　book　work。

Bok　derived　special　pleasure　on　this　trip　from　his　acquaintance　with　Father　Kipling；　as　the　party　called　him。　Rudyard　Kipling's　respect　for　his　father　was　the　tribute　of　a　loyal　son　to　a　wonderful　father。

〃What　annoys　me；〃　said　Kipling；　speaking　of　his　father　one　day；　〃is　when　the　pater　comes　to　America　to　have　him　referred　to　in　the　newspapers　as　'the　father　of　Rudyard　Kipling。'　It　is　in　India　where　they　get　the　relation　correct：　there　I　am　always　'the　son　of　Lockwood　Kipling。'〃

Father　Kipling　was；　in　every　sense；　a　choice　spirit：　gentle；　kindly；　and　of　a　most　remarkably　even　temperament。　His　knowledge　of　art；　his　wide　reading；　his　extensive　travel；　and　an　interest　in　every　phase　of　the　world's　doings；　made　him　a　rare　conversationalist；　when　inclined　to　talk；　and　an　encyclopedia　of　knowledge　as　extensive　as　it　was　accurate。　It　was　very　easy　to　grow　fond　of　Father　Kipling；　and　he　won　Bok's　affection　as　few　men　ever　did。

Father　Kipling's　conversation　was　remarkable　in　that　he　was　exceedingly　careful　of　language　and　wasted　few　words。

One　day　Kipling　and　Bok　were　engaged　in　a　discussion　of　the　Boer　problem；　which　was　then　pressing。　Father　Kipling　sat　by　listening；　but　made　no　comment　on　the　divergent　views；　since；　Kipling　holding　the　English　side　of　the　question　and　Bok　the　Dutch　side；　it　followed　that　they　could　not　agree。　Finally　Father　Kipling　arose　and　said：　〃Well；　I　will　take　a　stroll　and　see　if　I　can't　listen　to　the　water　and　get　all　this　din　out　of　my　ears。〃

Both　men　felt　gently　but　firmly　rebuked　and　the　discussion　was　never　again　taken　up。

Bok　tried　on　one　occasion　to　ascertain　how　the　father　regarded　the　son's　work。

〃You　should　feel　pretty　proud　of　your　son；〃　remarked　Bok。

〃A　good　sort；〃　was　the　simple　reply。

〃I　mean；　rather；　of　his　work。　How　does　that　strike　you？〃　asked　Bok。

〃Which　work？〃

〃His　work　as　a　whole；〃　explained　Bok。

〃Creditable；〃　was　the　succinct　answer。

〃No　more　than　that？〃　asked　Bok。

〃Can　there　be　more？〃　came　from　the　father。

〃Well；〃　said　Bok；　〃the　judgment　seems　a　little　tame　as　applied　to　one　who　is　generally　regarded　as　a　genius。〃

〃By　whom？〃

〃The　critics；　for　instance；〃　replied　Bok。

〃There　are　no　such；〃　came　the　answer。

〃No　such　what；　Mr。　Kipling？〃　asked　Bok。

〃Critics。〃

〃No　critics？〃

〃No；〃　and　for　the　first　time　the　pipe　was　removed　for　a　moment。　〃A　critic　is　one　who　only　exists　as　such　in　his　own　imagination。〃

〃But　surely　you　must　consider　that　Rud　has　done　some　great　work？〃　persisted　Bok。

〃Creditable；〃　came　once　more。

〃You　think　him　capable　of　great　work；　do　you　not？〃　asked　Bok。　For　a　moment　there　was　silence。　Then：

〃He　has　a　certain　grasp　of　the　human　instinct。　That；　some　day；　I　think；　will　lead　him　to　write　a　great　work。〃

There　was　the　secret：　the　constant　holding　up　to　the　son；　apparently；　of　something　still　to　be　accomplished；　of　a　goal　to　be　reached；　of　a　higher　standard　to　be　attained。　Rudyard　Kipling　was　never　in　danger　of　unintelligent　laudation　from　his　safest　and　most　intelligent　reader。

During　the　years　which　intervened　until　his　passing　away；　Bok　sought　to　keep　in　touch　with　Father　Kipling；　and　received　the　most　wonderful　letters　from　him。　One　day　he　enclosed　in　a　letter　a　drawing　which　he　had　made　showing　Sakia　Muni　sitting　under　the　bo…tree　with　two　of　his　disciples；　a　young　man　and　a　young　woman；　gathered　at　his　feet。　It　was　a　piece　of　exquisite　drawing。　〃I　like　to　think　of　you　and　your　work　in　this　way；〃　wrote　Mr。　Kipling；　〃and　so　I　sketched　it　for　you。〃　Bok　had　the　sketch　enlarged；　engaged　John　La　Farge　to　translate　it　into　glass；　and　inserted　it　in　a　window　in　the　living…room　of　his　home　at　Merion。

After　Father　Kipling　had　passed　away；　the　express　brought　to　Bok　one　day　a　beautiful　plaque　of　red　clay；　showing　the　elephant's　head；　the　lotus；　and　the　swastika；　which　the　father　had　made　for　the　son。　It　was　the　original　model　of　the　insignia　which；　as　a　watermark；　is　used　in　the　pages　of　Kipling's　books　and　on　the　cover　of　the　subscription　edition。

〃I　am　sending　with　this　for　your　acceptance；〃　wrote　Kipling　to　Bok；　〃as　some　little　memory　of　my　father　to　whom　you　were　so　kind；　the　original　of　one　of　the　plaques　that　he　used　to　make　for　me。　I　thought　it　being　the　swastika　would　be　appropriat