the americanization of edward bok-第77部分

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oop　was　organized；　and　an　American　Legion　post；　the　automobile　speed　limit　was　reduced　from　twenty…four　to　fifteen　miles　as　a　protection　to　children；　roads　were　regularly　swept；　cleaned；　and　oiled；　and　uniform　sidewalks　advocated　and　secured。

Within　seven　years　so　efficiently　had　the　Association　functioned　that　its　work　attracted　attention　far　beyond　its　own　confines　and　that　of　Philadelphia；　and　caused　Theodore　Roosevelt　voluntarily　to　select　it　as　a　subject　for　a　special　magazine　article　in　which　he　declared　it　to　〃stand　as　a　model　in　civic　matters。〃　To…day　it　may　be　conservatively　said　of　The　Merion　Civic　Association　that　it　is　pointed　out　as　one　of　the　most　successful　suburban　civic　efforts　in　the　country；　as　Doctor　Lyman　Abbott　said　in　The　Outlook；　it　has　made　〃Merion　a　model　suburb；　which　may　standardize　ideal　suburban　life；　certainly　for　Philadelphia；　possibly　for　the　United　States。〃

When　the　armistice　was　signed　in　November；　1918；　the　Association　immediately　canvassed　the　neighborhood　to　erect　a　suitable　Tribute　House；　as　a　memorial　to　the　eighty…three　Merion　boys　who　had　gone　into　the　Great　War：　a　public　building　which　would　comprise　a　community　centre；　with　an　American　Legion　Post　room；　a　Boy　Scout　house；　an　auditorium；　and　a　meeting…place　for　the　civic　activities　of　Merion。　A　subscription　was　raised；　and　plans　were　already　drawn　for　the　Tribute　House；　when　Mr。　Eldridge　R。　Johnson；　president　of　the　Victor　Talking　Machine　Company；　one　of　the　strong　supporters　of　The　Merion　Civic　Association；　presented　his　entire　estate　of　twelve　acres；　the　finest　in　Merion；　to　the　community；　and　agreed　to　build　a　Tribute　House　at　his　own　expense。　The　grounds　represented　a　gift　of　two　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　the　building　a　gift　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars。　This　building；　now　about　to　be　erected；　will　be　one　of　the　most　beautiful　and　complete　community　centres　in　the　United　States。

Perhaps　no　other　suburban　civic　effort　proves　the　efficiency　of　community　co…operation　so　well　as　does　the　seven　years'　work　of　The　Merion　Civic　Association。　It　is　a　practical　demonstration　of　what　a　community　can　do　for　itself　by　concerted　action。　It　preached；　from　the　very　start；　the　gospel　of　united　service；　it　translated　into　actual　practice　the　doctrine　of　being　one's　brother's　keeper；　and　it　taught　the　invaluable　habit　of　collective　action。　The　Association　has　no　legal　powers；　it　rules　solely　by　persuasion；　it　accomplishes　by　the　power　of　combination；　by　a　spirit　of　the　community　for　the　community。

When　The　Merion　Civic　Association　was　conceived；　the　spirit　of　local　pride　was　seemingly　not　present　in　the　community。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　there　as　it　is　in　practically　every　neighborhood；　it　was　simply　dormant；　it　had　to　be　awakened；　and　its　value　brought　vividly　to　the　community　consciousness。



XXXII。　A　Bewildered　Bok

One　of　the　misfortunes　of　Edward　Bok's　training；　which　he　realized　more　clearly　as　time　went　on；　was　that　music　had　little　or　no　place　in　his　life。　His　mother　did　not　play；　and　aside　from　the　fact　that　his　father　and　mother　were　patrons　of　the　opera　during　their　residence　in　The　Netherlands；　the　musical　atmosphere　was　lacking　in　his　home。　He　realized　how　welcome　an　outlet　music　might　be　in　his　now　busy　life。　So　what　he　lacked　himself　and　realized　as　a　distinct　omission　in　his　own　life　he　decided　to　make　possible　for　others。

The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　began　to　strike　a　definite　musical　note。　It　first　caught　the　eye　and　ear　of　its　public　by　presenting　the　popular　new　marches　by　John　Philip　Sousa；　and　when　the　comic　opera　of　〃Robin　Hood〃　became　the　favorite　of　the　day；　it　secured　all　the　new　compositions　by　Reginald　de　Koven。　Following　these；　it　introduced　its　readers　to　new　compositions　by　Sir　Arthur　Sullivan；　Tosti；　Moscowski；　Richard　Strauss；　Paderewski；　Josef　Hofmann；　Edouard　Strauss；　and　Mascagni。　Bok　induced　Josef　Hofmann　to　give　a　series　of　piano　lessons　in　his　magazine；　and　Madame　Marchesi　a　series　of　vocal　lessons。　The　Journal　introduced　its　readers　to　all　the　great　instrumental　and　vocal　artists　of　the　day　through　articles；　it　offered　prizes　for　the　best　piano　and　vocal　compositions；　it　had　the　leading　critics　of　New　York；　Boston；　and　Chicago　write　articles　explanatory　of　orchestral　music　and　how　to　listen　to　music。

Bok　was　early　attracted　by　the　abilities　of　Josef　Hofmann。　In　1898；　he　met　the　pianist；　who　was　then　twenty…two　years　old。　Of　his　musical　ability　Bok　could　not　judge；　but　he　was　much　impressed　by　his　unusual　mentality；　and　soon　both　learned　and　felt　that　Hofmann's　art　was　deeply　and　firmly　rooted。　Hofmann　had　a　wider　knowledge　of　affairs　than　other　musicians　whom　Bok　had　met；　he　had　not　narrowed　his　interests　to　his　own　art。　He　was　striving　to　achieve　a　position　in　his　art；　and；　finding　that　he　had　literary　ability；　Bok　asked　him　to　write　a　reminiscent　article　on　his　famous　master；　Rubinstein。

This　was　followed　by　other　articles；　the　publication　of　his　new　mazurka；　still　further　articles；　and　then；　in　1907；　Bok　offered　him　a　regular　department　in　the　magazine　and　a　salaried　editorship　on　his　staff。

Bok's　musical　friends　and　the　music　critics　tried　to　convince　the　editor　that　Hofmann's　art　lay　not　so　deep　as　Bok　imagined；　that　he　had　been　a　child　prodigy；　and　would　end　where　all　child　prodigies　invariably　endopinions　which　make　curious　reading　now　in　view　of　Hofmann's　commanding　position　in　the　world　of　music。　But　while　Bok　lacked　musical　knowledge；　his　instinct　led　him　to　adhere　to　his　belief　in　Hofmann；　and　for　twelve　years；　until　Bok's　retirement　as　editor；　the　pianist　was　a　regular　contributor　to　the　magazine。　His　success　was；　of　course；　unquestioned。　He　answered　hundreds　of　questions　sent　him　by　his　readers；　and　these　answers　furnished　such　valuable　advice　for　piano　students　that　two　volumes　were　made　in　book　form　and　are　to…day　used　by　piano　teachers　and　students　as　authoritative　guides。

Meanwhile；　Bok's　marriage　had　brought　music　directly　into　his　domestic　circle。　Mrs。　Bok　loved　music；　was　a　pianist　herself；　and　sought　to　acquaint　her　husband　with　what　his　former　training　had　omitted。　Hofmann　and　Bok　had　become　strong　friends　outside　of　the　editorial　relation；　and　the　pianist　frequently　visited　the　Bok　home。　But　it　was　some　time；　even　with　these　influences　surrounding　him；　before　music　began　to　play　any　real　part　in　Bok's　own　life。

He　attended　the　opera　occasionally；　more　or　less　under　protest；　because　of　its　length；　and　because　his　mind　was　too　practical　for　the　indirect　operatic　form。　He　could　not　remain　patient　at　a　recital；　the　effort　to　listen　to　one　performer　for　an　hour　and　a　half　was　too　severe　a　tax　upon　his　restless　nature。　The　Philadelphia　Orchestra　gave　a　symphony　concert　each　Saturday　evening；　and　Bok　dreaded　the　coming　of　that　evening　in　each　week　for　fear　of　being　taken　to　hear　music　which　he　was　convinced　was　〃over　his　head。〃

Like　many　men　of　his　practical　nature；　he　had　made　up　his　mind　on　this　point　without　ever　having　heard　such　a　concert。　The　word　〃symphony〃　was　enough；　it　conveyed　to　him　a　form　of　the　highest　music　quite　beyond　his　comprehension。　Then；　too；　in　the　back　of　his　mind　there　was　the　feeling　that；　while　he　was　perfectly　will