the americanization of edward bok-第89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！


　refreshing；　and；　in　many　cases；　a　new　conception　of　American　ideals　as　much　as　did　the　foreign…born；　and　that　the　latter　could　never　be　taught　what　America　and　its　institutions　stood　for　until　they　were　more　clearly　defined　in　the　mind　of　the　men　and　women　of　American　birth。

Bok　went　to　Washington；　consulted　with　Franklin　K。　Lane；　secretary　of　the　interior；　of　whose　department　the　Government　Bureau　of　Americanization　was　a　part。　A　comprehensive　series　of　articles　was　outlined；　the　most　expert　writer；　Esther　Everett　Lape；　who　had　several　years　of　actual　experience　in　Americanization　work；　was　selected；　Secretary　Lane　agreed　personally　to　read　and　pass　upon　the　material；　and　to　assume　the　responsibility　for　its　publication。

With　the　full　and　direct　co…operation　of　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Americanization；　the　material　was　assembled　and　worked　up　with　the　result　that；　in　the　opinion　of　the　director　of　the　Federal　Bureau；　the　series　proved　to　be　the　most　comprehensive　exposition　of　practical　Americanization　adapted　to　city；　town；　and　village；　thus　far　published。

The　work　on　this　series　was　one　of　the　last　acts　of　Edward　Bok's　editorship；　and　it　was　peculiarly　gratifying　to　him　that　his　editorial　work　should　end　with　the　exposition　of　that　Americanization　of　which　he　himself　was　a　product。　It　seemed　a　fitting　close　to　the　career　of　a　foreign…born　Americanized　editor。

The　scope　of　the　reconstruction　articles　now　published；　and　the　clarity　of　vision　shown　in　the　selection　of　the　subjects；　gave　a　fresh　impetus　to　the　circulation　of　the　magazine；　and　now　that　the　government's　embargo　on　the　use　of　paper　had　been　removed；　the　full　editions　of　the　periodical　could　again　be　printed。　The　public　responded　instantly。

The　result　reached　phenomenal　figures。　The　last　number　under　Bok's　full　editorial　control　was　the　issue　of　October；　1919。　This　number　was　oversold　with　a　printed　edition　of　two　million　copiesa　record　never　before　achieved　by　any　magazine。　This　same　issue　presented　another　record　unattained　in　any　single　number　of　any　periodical　in　the　world。　It　carried　between　its　covers　the　amazing　total　of　over　one　million　dollars　in　advertisements。

This　was　the　psychological　point　at　which　to　stop。　And　Edward　Bok　did。　Although　his　official　relation　as　editor　did　not　terminate　until　January；　1920；　when　the　number　which　contained　his　valedictory　editorial　was　issued；　his　actual　editorship　ceased　on　September　22；　1919。　On　that　day　he　handed　over　the　reins　to　his　successor。

As　Bok　was；　on　that　day；　about　to　leave　his　desk　for　the　last　time；　it　was　announced　that　a　young　soldier　whom　he　〃had　met　and　befriended　in　France〃　was　waiting　to　see　him。　When　the　soldier　walked　into　the　office　he　was　to　Bok　only　one　of　the　many　whom　he　had　met　on　the　other　side。　But　as　the　boy　shook　hands　with　him　and　said：　〃I　guess　you　do　not　remember　me；　Mr。　Bok；〃　there　was　something　in　the　eyes　into　which　he　looked　that　startled　him。　And　then；　in　a　flash；　the　circumstances　under　which　he　had　last　seen　those　eyes　came　to　him。

〃Good　heavens；　my　boy；　you　are　not　one　of　those　two　boys　in　the　little　hut　that　I〃

〃To　whom　you　read　the　poem　'Passing　Souls；'　that　evening。　Yes；　sir；　I'm　the　boy　who　had　hold　of　your　left　hand。　My　bunkie；　Ben；　went　West　that　same　evening；　you　remember。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　editor；　〃I　remember；　I　remember　only　too　well；〃　and　again　Bok　felt　the　hand　in　his　relax；　drop　from　his　own；　and　heard　the　words：　〃Saviour…meet…me…on…my　way。〃

The　boy's　voice　brought　Bok　back　to　the　moment。

〃It's　wonderful　you　should　remember　me；　my　face　was　all　bound　upI　guess　you　couldn't　see　anything　but　my　eyes。〃

〃Just　the　eyes；　that's　right；〃　said　Bok。　〃But　they　burned　into　me　all　right；　my　boy。〃

〃I　don't　think　I　get　you；　sir；〃　said　the　boy。

〃No；　you　wouldn't；〃　Bok　replied。　〃You　couldn't；　boy；　not　until　you're　older。　But；　tell　me；　how　in　the　world　did　you　ever　get　out　of　it？〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　answered　the　boy；　with　that　shyness　which　we　all　have　come　to　know　in　the　boys　who　actually　did；　〃I　guess　it　was　a　close　call；　all　right。　But　just　as　you　left　us；　a　hospital　corps　happened　to　come　along　on　its　way　to　the　back　and　Miss　Nelsonthe　nurse；　you　remember？she　asked　them　to　take　me　along。　They　took　me　to　a　wonderful　hospital；　gave　me　fine　care；　and　then　after　a　few　weeks　they　sent　me　back　to　the　States；　and　I've　been　in　a　hospital　over　here　ever　since。　Now；　except　for　this　thickness　of　my　voice　that　you　notice；　which　Doc　says　will　be　all　right　soon；　I'm　fit　again。　The　government　has　given　me　a　job；　and　I　came　here　on　leave　just　to　see　my　parents　up…State；　and　I　thought　I'd　like　you　to　know　that　I　didn't　go　West　after　all。〃

Fifteen　minutes　later；　Edward　Bok　left　his　editorial　office　for　the　last　time。

But　as　he　went　home　his　thoughts　were　not　of　his　last　day　at　the　office；　nor　of　his　last　acts　as　editor；　but　of　his　last　caller…the　soldier…boy　whom　he　had　left　seemingly　so　surely　on　his　way　〃West；〃　and　whose　eyes　had　burned　into　his　memory　on　that　fearful　night　a　year　before！

Strange　that　this　boy　should　have　been　his　last　visitor！

As　John　Drinkwater；　in　his　play；　makes　Abraham　Lincoln　say　to　General　Grant：

〃It's　a　queer　world！〃



XXXVII。　The　Third　Period

The　announcement　of　Edward　Bok's　retirement　came　as　a　great　surprise　to　his　friends。　Save　for　one　here　and　there；　who　had　a　clearer　vision；　the　feeling　was　general　that　he　had　made　a　mistake。　He　was　fifty…six；　in　the　prime　of　life；　never　in　better　health；　with　〃success　lying　easily　upon　him〃said　one；　〃at　the　very　summit　of　his　career；〃　said　anotherand　all　agreed　it　was　〃queer；〃　〃strange；〃unless；　they　argued；　he　was　really　ill。　Even　the　most　acute　students　of　human　affairs　among　his　friends　wondered。　It　seemed　incomprehensible　that　any　man　should　want　to　give　up　before　he　was；　for　some　reason；　compelled　to　do　so。　A　man　should　go　on　until　he　〃dropped　in　the　harness；〃　they　argued。

Bok　agreed　that　any　man　had　a　perfect　right　to　work　until　he　did　〃drop　in　the　harness。〃　But；　he　argued；　if　he　conceded　this　right　to　others；　why　should　they　not　concede　to　him　the　privilege　of　dropping　with　the　blinders　off？

〃But；〃　continued　the　argument；　〃a　man　degenerates　when　he　retires　from　active　affairs。〃　And　then；　instances　were　pointed　out　as　notable　examples。　〃A　year　of　retirement　and　he　was　through；〃　was　the　picture　given　of　one　retired　man。　〃In　two　years；　he　was　glad　to　come　back；〃　and　so　the　examples　ran　on。　〃No　big　man　ever　retired　from　active　business　and　did　great　work　afterwards；〃　Bok　was　told。

〃No？〃　he　answered。　〃Not　even　Cyrus　W。　Field　or　Herbert　Hoover？〃

And　all　this　time　Edward　Bok's　failure　to　be　entirely　Americanized　was　brought　home　to　his　consciousness。　After　fifty　years；　he　was　still　not　an　American！　He　had　deliberately　planned；　and　then　had　carried　out　his　plan；　to　retire　while　he　still　had　the　mental　and　physical　capacity　to　enjoy　the　fruits　of　his　years　of　labor！　For　foreign　to　the　American　way　of　thinking　it　certainly　was：　the　protestations　and　arguments　of　his　friends　proved　that　to　him。　After　all；　he　was　still　Dutch；　he　had　held　on　to　the　lesson　which　his　people　had　learned　years　ago；　that　the　people　of　other　European　countries　had　learned；　that　the　Englis