the americanization of edward bok-第15章

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ired。

〃Well；〃　he　continued；　〃the　case　went　to　the　jury：　the　men；　you　know；　who　had　to　decide。　There　were　twelve　of　them。〃

〃Was　it　necessary　that　all　twelve　should　think　alike？〃　asked　the　boy。

〃That　was　what　was　hoped；　my　boy；〃　said　Mr。　Beecher〃that　was　what　was　hoped；〃　he　repeated。

〃Well；　they　did；　didn't　they？〃　Edward　asked；　as　Mr。　Beecher　stopped。

〃Nine　did；〃　he　replied。　〃Yes；　nine　did。　But　three　didn't。　Three　thought〃　Mr。　Beecher　stopped　and　did　not　finish　the　sentence。　〃But　nine　did；〃　he　repeated。　〃Nine　to　three　it　stood。　That　was　the　decision；　and　then　the　judge　discharged　the　jury；〃　he　said。

There　was　naturally　one　question　in　the　boyish　mind　to　ask　the　man　before　himone　question！　Yet；　instinctively；　something　within　him　made　him　hesitate　to　ask　that　question。　But　at　last　his　curiosity　got　the　better　of　the　still；　small　voice　of　judgment。

〃And；　Mr。　Beecher〃　the　boy　began。

But　Mr。　Beecher　knew！　He　knew　what　was　at　the　end　of　the　tongue；　looked　clear　into　the　boy's　mind；　and　Edward　can　still　see　him　lift　that　fine　head　and　look　into　his　eyes；　as　he　said；　slowly　and　clearly：

〃And　the　decision　of　the　nine　was　in　exact　accord　with　the　facts。〃

He　had　divined　the　question！

As　the　two　rose　from　the　floor　that　night　Edward　looked　at　the　clock。　It　was　past　midnight；　Mr。　Beecher　had　talked　for　two　hours；　the　boy　had　spoken　hardly　at　all。

As　the　boy　was　going　out；　he　turned　to　Mr。　Beecher　sitting　thoughtfully　in　his　chair。

〃Good　night；　Mr。　Beecher；〃　he　said。

The　Plymouth　pastor　pulled　himself　together；　and　with　that　wit　that　never　forsook　him　he　looked　at　the　clock；　smiled；　and　answered：　〃Good　morning；　I　should　say。　God　bless　you；　my　boy。〃　Then　rising；　he　put　his　arm　around　the　boy's　shoulders　and　walked　with　him　to　the　door。



X。　The　First　〃Woman's　Page；〃　〃Literary　Leaves；〃　and　Entering　Scribner's

Mr。　Beecher's　weekly　newspaper　〃syndicate〃　letter　was　not　only　successful　in　itself；　it　made　liberal　money　for　the　writer　and　for　its　two　young　publishers；　but　it　served　to　introduce　Edward　Bok's　proposed　agency　to　the　newspapers　under　the　most　favorable　conditions。　With　one　stroke；　the　attention　of　newspaper　editors　had　been　attracted；　and　Edward　concluded　to　take　quick　advantage　of　it。　He　organized　the　Bok　Syndicate　Press；　with　offices　in　New　York；　and　his　brother；　William　J。　Bok；　as　partner　and　active　manager。　Edward's　days　were　occupied；　of　course；　with　his　duties　in　the　Holt　publishing　house；　where　he　was　acquiring　a　first…hand　knowledge　of　the　business。

Edward's　attention　was　now　turned；　for　the　first　time；　to　women　and　their　reading　habits。　He　became　interested　in　the　fact　that　the　American　woman　was　not　a　newspaper　reader。　He　tried　to　find　out　the　psychology　of　this；　and　finally　reached　the　conclusion；　on　looking　over　the　newspapers；　that　the　absence　of　any　distinctive　material　for　women　was　a　factor。　He　talked　the　matter　over　with　several　prominent　New　York　editors；　who　frankly　acknowledged　that　they　would　like　nothing　better　than　to　interest　women；　and　make　them　readers　of　their　papers。　But　they　were　equally　frank　in　confessing　that　they　were　ignorant　both　of　what　women　wanted；　and；　even　if　they　knew；　of　where　such　material　was　to　be　had。　Edward　at　once　saw　that　here　was　an　open　field。　It　was　a　productive　field；　since；　as　woman　was　the　purchasing　power；　it　would　benefit　the　newspaper　enormously　in　its　advertising　if　it　could　offer　a　feminine　clientele。

There　was　a　bright　letter　of　New　York　gossip　published　in　the　New　York　Star；　called　〃Bab's　Babble。〃　Edward　had　read　it；　and　saw　the　possibility　of　syndicating　this　item　as　a　woman's　letter　from　New　York。　He　instinctively　realized　that　women　all　over　the　country　would　read　it。　He　sought　out　the　author；　made　arrangements　with　her　and　with　former　Governor　Dorscheimer；　owner　of　the　paper；　and　the　letter　was　sent　out　to　a　group　of　papers。　It　was　an　instantaneous　success；　and　a　syndicate　of　ninety　newspapers　was　quickly　organized。

Edward　followed　this　up　by　engaging　Ella　Wheeler　Wilcox；　then　at　the　height　of　her　career；　to　write　a　weekly　letter　on　women's　topics。　This　he　syndicated　in　conjunction　with　the　other　letter；　and　the　editors　invariably　grouped　the　two　letters。　This；　in　turn；　naturally　led　to　the　idea　of　supplying　an　entire　page　of　matter　of　interest　to　women。　The　plan　was　proposed　to　a　number　of　editors；　who　at　once　saw　the　possibilities　in　it　and　promised　support。　The　young　syndicator　now　laid　under　contribution　all　the　famous　women　writers　of　the　day；　he　chose　the　best　of　the　men　writers　to　write　on　women's　topics；　and　it　was　not　long　before　the　syndicate　was　supplying　a　page　of　women's　material。　The　newspapers　played　up　the　innovation；　and　thus　was　introduced　into　the　newspaper　press　of　the　United　States　the　〃Woman's　Page。〃

The　material　supplied　by　the　Bok　Syndicate　Press　was　of　the　best；　the　standard　was　kept　high；　the　writers　were　selected　from　among　the　most　popular　authors　of　the　day；　and　readability　was　the　cardinal　note。　The　women　bought　the　newspapers　containing　the　new　page；　the　advertiser　began　to　feel　the　presence　of　the　new　reader；　and　every　newspaper　that　could　not　get　the　rights　for　the　〃Bok　Page；〃　as　it　came　to　be　known；　started　a　〃Woman's　Page〃　of　it　own。　Naturally；　the　material　so　obtained　was　of　an　inferior　character。　No　single　newspaper　could　afford　what　the　syndicate；　with　the　expense　divided　among　a　hundred　newspapers；　could　pay。　Nor　had　the　editors　of　these　woman's　pages　either　a　standard　or　a　policy。　In　desperation　they　engaged　any　person　they　could　to　〃get　a　lot　of　woman's　stuff。〃　It　was　stuff；　and　of　the　trashiest　kind。　So　that　almost　coincident　with　the　birth　of　the　idea　began　its　abuse　and　disintegration；　the　result　we　see　in　the　meaningless　presentations　which　pass　for　〃woman's　pages〃　in　the　newspaper　of　to…day。

This　is　true　even　of　the　woman's　material　in　the　leading　newspapers；　and　the　reason　is　not　difficult　to　find。　The　average　editor　has；　as　a　rule；　no　time　to　study　the　changing　conditions　of　women's　interests；　his　time　is　and　must　be　engrossed　by　the　news　and　editorial　pages。　He　usually　delegates　the　Sunday　〃specials〃　to　some　editor　who；　again；　has　little　time　to　study　the　ever…changing　women's　problems；　particularly　in　these　days；　and　he　relies　upon　unintelligent　advice；　or　he　places　his　〃woman's　page〃　in　the　hands　of　some　woman　with　the　comfortable　assurance　that；　being　a　woman；　she　ought　to　know　what　interests　her　sex。

But　having　given　the　subject　little　thought；　he　attaches　minor　importance　to　the　woman's　〃stuff；〃　regarding　it　rather　in　the　light　of　something　that　he　〃must　carry　to　catch　the　women〃；　and　forthwith　he　either　forgets　it　or　refuses　to　give　the　editor　of　his　woman's　page　even　a　reasonable　allowance　to　spend　on　her　material。　The　result　is；　of　course；　inevitable：　pages　of　worthless　material。　There　is；　in　fact；　no　part　of　the　Sunday　newspaper　of　to…day　upon　which　so　much　good　and　now　expensive　white　paper　is　wasted　as　upon　the　pages　marked　for　the　home；　for　women；　and　for　children。

Edward　Bok　now　became　convinced；　from　his　book…publishing　association；　that　if　the　American　women　were　not　reading　the　newspapers；　the　American　public；　as　a　whole；　was　not　reading　the　number　of　books　that　it　should；　considering　the　intelligence　and　wealth　of　the　people；　and　the　cheap　prices　at　which　books　were　sold。　He　concluded　to　see　whether　he　could　not　induce　the　newspapers　to　give　larger　and　more　prominent　space　to　the　news　of　the　book　world。

Owing　to　his　constant　contact　with　authors；　he　was　in　a　peculiarly　fortunate　position　to　know　their　plans　in　advance　of　execution；　and　he　was　beginning　to　learn　the　ins　and　outs　of　the　book…publishing　world。　He　canvassed　the　newspapers　subscribing　to　his　syndicate　features；　but　found　a　disinclination　to　give　space　to　literary　news。　To　the　average　editor；　purely　literary　features　held　less　of　an　appeal　than　did　the　features　for　women。　Fewer　persons　were　interested　in　books；　they　declared；　besides；　the　publishing　houses　were　not　so　liberal　advertisers　as　the　department　stores。　The　whole　question　rested　on　a　commercial　basis。

Edward　believed　he　could　convince　editors　of　the　public　interest　in　a　newsy；　readable　New　York　literary　letter；　and　he　prevailed　upon　the　editor　of　the　New　York　Star　to　allow　him　to　supplement　the　book　reviews　of　George　Parsons　Lathrop　in　that　paper　by　a　column　of　literary　chat　called　〃Literary　Leaves。〃　For　a　number　of　weeks　he　continued　to　write　this　department；　and　confine　it　to　the　New　York　paper；　feeling　that　he　needed　the　experience　for　the　acquirement　of　a　readable　style；　and　he　wanted　to　be　sure　that　he　had　opened　a　sufficient　number　of　productive　news　channels　to　ensure　a　continuous　flow　of　readable　literary　information。

Occasionally　he　sent　to　an　editor　here　and　there　what　he　thought　was　a　particularly　newsy　letter　just　〃for　his　information；　not　for　sale。〃　The　editor　of　the　Philadelphia　Times　was　the　first　to　discover　that　his　paper　wanted　the　letter；　and　the　Boston　Journal　followed　suit。　Then　the　editor　of　the　Cincinnati　Times…Star　discovered　the　letter　in　the　New　York　Star；　and　asked　that　it　be　supplied　weekly　with　the　letter。　These　newspapers　renamed　the　letter　〃Bok's　Literary　Leaves；〃　and　the　feature　started　on　its　successful　career。

Edward　had　been　in　the　employ　of　Henry　Holt　and　Company　as　clerk　and　stenographer　for　two　years　when　Mr。　Cary　sent　for　him　and　told　him　that　there　was　an　opening　in　the　publishing　house　of　Charles　Scribner's　Sons；　if　he　wanted　to　make　a　change。　Edward　saw　at　once　the　larger　opportunities　possible　in　a　house　of　the　importance　of　the　Scribners；　and　he　immediately　placed　himself　in　communication　with　Mr。　Charles　Scribner；　with　the　result　that　in　January；　1884；　he　entered　the　employ　of　these　publishers　as　stenographer　to　the　two　members　of　the　firm　and　to　Mr。　Edward　L。　Burlingame；　literary　adviser　to　the　house。　He　was　to　receive　a　salary　of　eighteen　dollars　and　thirty…three　cents　per　week；　which　was　then　considered　a　fair　wage　for　stenographic　work。　The　typewriter　had　at　that　time　not　come　into　use；　and　all　letters　were　written　in　long…hand。　Once　more　his　legible　handwriting　had　secured　for　him　a　position。

Edward　Bok　was　now　twenty…one　years　of　age。　He　had　already　done　a　prodigious　amount　of　work　for　a　boy　of　his　years。　He　was　always　busy。　Every　spare　moment　of　his　evenings　was　devoted　either　to　writing　his　literary　letter；　to　the　arrangement　or　editing　of　articles　for　his　newspaper　syndicate；　to　the　steady　acquirement　of　autograph　letters　in　which　he　still　persisted；　or　to　helping　Mr。　Beecher　in　his　literary　work。　The　Plymouth　pastor　was　particularly　pleased　with　Edward's　successful　exploitation　of　his　pen　work；　and　he　afterward　wrote：　〃Bok　is　the　only　man　who　ever　seemed　to　make　my　literary　work　go　and　get　money　out　of　it。〃

Enterprise　and　energy　the　boy　unquestionably　possessed；　but　one　need　only　think　back　even　thus　far　in　his　life　to　see　the　continuous　good　fortune　which　had　followed　him　in　the　friendships　he　had　made；　and　in　the　men　with　whom　his　life；　at　its　most　formative　period；　had　come　into　close　contact。　If　we　are　inclined　to　credit　young　Bok　with　an　ever…willingness　to　work　and　a　certain　quality　of　initiative；　the　influences　which　played　upon　him　must　also　be　taken　into　a