the americanization of edward bok-第17章

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〃Well；　Stockton；〃　said　Frost；　〃I　have　found　a　way　at　last　to　make　a　farm　stop　eating　up　money。　Perhaps　it　will　help　you。〃

Stockton　was　busy　writing；　but　at　this　bit　of　hopeful　news　he　looked　up；　his　eyes　kindled；　he　dropped　his　pen；　and　eagerly　said：

〃Tell　me。〃

And　looking　behind　him　to　see　that　the　way　was　clear；　Frost　answered：

〃Pave　it　solid；　old　man。〃

When　the　stories　of　Dr。　Jekyll　and　Mr。　Hyde　and　Little　Lord　Fauntleroy　were　made　into　plays；　Bok　was　given　an　opportunity　for　an　entirely　different　kind　of　publicity。　Both　plays　were　highly　successful；　they　ran　for　weeks　in　succession；　and　each　evening　Bok　had　circulars　of　the　books　in　every　seat　of　the　theatre；　he　had　a　table　filled　with　the　books　in　the　foyer　of　each　theatre；　and　he　bombarded　the　newspapers　with　stories　of　Mr。　Mansfield's　method　of　making　the　quick　change　from　one　character　to　the　other　in　the　dual　role　of　the　Stevenson　play；　and　with　anecdotes　about　the　boy　Tommy　Russell　in　Mrs。　Burnett's　play。　The　sale　of　the　books　went　merrily　on；　and　kept　pace　with　the　success　of　the　plays。　And　it　all　sharpened　the　initiative　of　the　young　advertiser　and　developed　his　sense　for　publicity。

One　day　while　waiting　in　the　anteroom　of　a　publishing　house　to　see　a　member　of　the　firm；　he　picked　up　a　book　and　began　to　read　it。　Since　he　had　to　wait　for　nearly　an　hour；　he　had　read　a　large　part　of　the　volume　when　he　was　at　last　admitted　to　the　private　office。　When　his　business　was　finished；　Bok　asked　the　publisher　why　this　book　was　not　selling。

〃I　don't　know；〃　replied　the　publisher。　〃We　had　great　hopes　for　it；　but　somehow　or　other　the　public　has　not　responded　to　it。〃

〃Are　you　sure　you　are　telling　the　public　about　it　in　the　right　way？〃　ventured　Bok。

The　Scribner　advertising　had　by　this　time　attracted　the　attention　of　the　publishing　world；　and　this　publisher　was　entirely　ready　to　listen　to　a　suggestion　from　his　youthful　caller。

〃I　wish　we　published　it；〃　said　Bok。　〃I　think　I　could　make　it　a　go。　It's　all　in　the　book。〃

〃How　would　you　advertise　it？〃　asked　the　publisher。

Bok　promised　the　publisher　he　would　let　him　know。　He　carried　with　him　a　copy　of　the　book；　wrote　some　advertisements　for　it；　prepared　an　attractive　〃broadside〃　of　extracts；　to　which　the　book　easily　lent　itself；　wrote　some　literary　notes　about　it；　and　sent　the　whole　collection　to　the　publisher。　Every　particle　of　〃copy〃　which　Bok　had　prepared　was　used；　the　book　began　to　sell；　and　within　three　months　it　was　the　most　discussed　book　of　the　day。

The　book　was　Edward　Bellamy's　〃Looking　Backward〃。



XI。　The　Chances　for　Success

Edward　Bok　does　not　now　remember　whether　the　mental　picture　had　been　given　him；　or　whether　he　had　conjured　it　up　for　himself；　but　he　certainly　was　possessed　of　the　idea；　as　are　so　many　young　men　entering　business；　that　the　path　which　led　to　success　was　very　difficult：　that　it　was　overfilled　with　a　jostling；　bustling；　panting　crowd；　each　eager　to　reach　the　goal；　and　all　ready　to　dispute　every　step　that　a　young　man　should　take；　and　that　favoritism　only　could　bring　one　to　the　top。

After　Bok　had　been　in　the　world　of　affairs；　he　wondered　where　were　these　choked　avenues；　these　struggling　masses；　these　competitors　for　every　inch　of　vantage。　Then　he　gradually　discovered　that　they　did　not　exist。

In　the　first　place；　he　found　every　avenue　leading　to　success　wide　open　and　certainly　not　over…peopled。　He　was　surprised　how　few　there　were　who　really　stood　in　a　young　man's　way。　He　found　that　favoritism　was　not　the　factor　that　he　had　been　led　to　suppose。　He　realized　it　existed　in　a　few　isolated　cases；　but　to　these　every　one　had　pointed　and　about　these　every　one　had　talked　until；　in　the　public　mind；　they　had　multiplied　in　number　and　assumed　a　proportion　that　the　facts　did　not　bear　out。

Here　and　there　a　relative　〃played　a　favorite；〃　but　even　with　the　push　and　influence　behind　him　〃the　lucky　one；〃　as　he　was　termed；　did　not　seem　to　make　progress；　unless　he　had　merit。　It　was　not　long　before　Bok　discovered　that　the　possession　of　sheer　merit　was　the　only　real　factor　that　actually　counted　in　any　of　the　places　where　he　had　been　employed　or　in　others　which　he　had　watched；　that　business　was　so　constructed　and　conducted　that　nothing　else；　in　the　face　of　competition；　could　act　as　current　coin。　And　the　amazing　part　of　it　all　to　Bok　was　how　little　merit　there　was。　Nothing　astonished　him　more　than　the　low　average　ability　of　those　with　whom　he　worked　or　came　into　contact。

He　looked　at　the　top；　and　instead　of　finding　it　overcrowded；　he　was　surprised　at　the　few　who　had　reached　there；　the　top　fairly　begged　for　more　to　climb　its　heights。

For　every　young　man；　earnest；　eager　to　serve；　willing　to　do　more　than　he　was　paid　for；　he　found　ten　trying　to　solve　the　problem　of　how　little　they　could　actually　do　for　the　pay　received。

It　interested　Bok　to　listen　to　the　talk　of　his　fellow…workers　during　luncheon　hours　and　at　all　other　times　outside　of　office　hours。　When　the　talk　did　turn　on　the　business　with　which　they　were　concerned；　it　consisted　almost　entirely　of　wages；　and　he　soon　found　that；　with　scarcely　an　exception；　every　young　man　was　terribly　underpaid；　and　that　his　employer　absolutely　failed　to　appreciate　his　work。　It　was　interesting；　later；　when　Bok　happened　to　get　the　angle　of　the　employer；　to　discover　that；　invariably；　these　same　lamenting　young　men　were　those　who；　from　the　employer's　point　of　view；　were　either　greatly　overpaid　or　so　entirely　worthless　as　to　be　marked　for　early　decapitation。

Bok　felt　that　this　constant　thought　of　the　wages　earned　or　deserved　was　putting　the　cart　before　the　horse；　he　had　schooled　himself　into　the　belief　that　if　he　did　his　work　well；　and　accomplished　more　than　was　expected　of　him；　the　question　of　wages　would　take　care　of　itself。　But；　according　to　the　talk　on　every　side；　it　was　he　who　had　the　cart　before　the　horse。　Bok　had　not　only　tried　always　to　fill　the　particular　job　set　for　him　but　had　made　it　a　rule　at　the　same　time　to　study　the　position　just　ahead；　to　see　what　it　was　like；　what　it　demanded；　and　then；　as　the　opportunity　presented　itself；　do　a　part　of　that　job　in　addition　to　his　own。　As　a　stenographer；　he　tried　always　to　clear　off　the　day's　work　before　he　closed　his　desk。　This　was　not　always　possible；　but　he　kept　it　before　him　as　a　rule　to　be　followed　rather　than　violated。

One　morning　Bok's　employer　happened　to　come　to　the　office　earlier　than　usual；　to　find　the　letters　he　had　dictated　late　in　the　afternoon　before　lying　on　his　desk　ready　to　be　signed。

〃These　are　the　letters　I　gave　you　late　yesterday　afternoon；　are　they　not？〃　asked　the　employer。

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Must　have　started　early　this　morning；　didn't　you？〃

〃No；　sir；〃　answered　Bok。　〃I　wrote　them　out　last　evening　before　I　left。〃

〃Like　to　get　your　notes　written　out　before　they　get　stale？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Good　idea；〃　said　the　employer。

〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　Bok；　〃and　I　think　it　is　even　a　better　idea　to　get　a　day's　work　off　before　I　take　my　apron　off。〃

〃Well　said；〃　answered　the　employer；　and　the　following　payday　Bok　found　an　increase　in　his　weekly　envelope。

It　is　only　fair；　however；　to　add　here；　parenthetically；　that　it　is　neither　just　nor　considerate　to　a　conscientious　stenographer　for　an　employer　to　delay　his　dictation　until　the　end　of　the　day's　work；　when；　merely　by　judicious　management　of　his　affairs　and　time；　he　can　give　his　dictation　directly　after　opening　his　morning　mail。　There　are　two　sides　to　every　question；　but　sometimes　the　side　of　the　stenographer　is　not　kept　in　mind　by　the　employer。

Bok　found　it　a　uniform　rule　among　his　fellow…workers　to　do　exactly　the　opposite　to　his　own　idea；　there　was　an　astonishing　unanimity　in　working　by　the　clock；　where　the　hour　of　closing　was　five　o'clock　the　preparations　began　five　minutes　before；　with　the　hat　and　overcoat　over　the　back　of　the　chair　ready　for　the　stroke　of　the　hour。　This　concert　of　action　was　curiously　universal；　no　〃overtime〃　was　ever　to　be　thought　of；　and；　as　occasionally　happened　when　the　work　did　go　over　the　hour；　it　was　not；　to　use　the　mildest　term；　done　with　care；　neatness；　or　accuracy；　it　was；　to　use　a　current　phrase；　〃slammed　off。〃　Every　moment　beyond　five　o'clock　in　which　the　worker　was　asked　to　do　anything　was　by　just　so　much　an　imposition　on　the　part　of　the　employer；　and　so　far　as　it　could　be　safely　shown；　this　impression　was　gotten　over　to　him。

There　was　an　entire　unwillingness　to　let　business　interfere　with　any　anticipated　pleasure　or　personal　engagement。　The　office　was　all　right　between　nine　and　five；　one　had　to　be　there　to　earn　a　living；　but　after　five；　it　was　not　to　be　thought　of　for　one　moment。　The　elevators　which　ran　on　the　stroke　of　five　were　never　large　enough　to　hold　the　throng　which　besieged　them。

The　talk　during　lunch　hour　rarely；　if　ever；　turned　toward　business；　except　as　said　before；　when　it　dealt　with　underpaid　services。　In　the　spring　and　summer　it　was　invariably　of　baseball；　and　scores　of　young　men　knew　the　batting　averages　of　the　different　players　and　the　standing　of　the　clubs　with　far　greater　accuracy　than　they　knew　the　standing　or　the　discounts　of　the　customers　of　their　employers。　In　the　winter　the　talk　was　all　of　dancing；　boxing；　or　plays。

It　soon　became　evident　to　Bok　why　scarcely　five　out　of　every　hundred　of　the　young　men　whom　he　knew　made　any　business　progress。　They　were　not　interested；　it　was　a　case　of　a　day's　work　and　a　day's　pay；　it　was　not　a　question　of　how　much　one　could　do　but　how　little　one　could　get　away　with。　The　thought　of　how　well　one　might　do　a　given　thing　never　seemed　to　occur　to　the　average　mind。

〃Oh；　what　do　you　care？〃　was　the　favorite　expression。　〃The　boss　won't　notice　it　if　you　break　your　back　over　his　work；　you　won't　get　any　more　pay。〃

And　there　the　subject　was　dismissed；　and　thoroughly　dismissed；　too。

Eventually；　then；　Bok　learned　that　the　path　that　led　to　success　was　wide　open：　the　competition　was　negligible。　There　was　no　jostling。　In　fact；　travel　on　it　was　just　a　trifle　lonely。　One's　fellow…travellers　were　excellent　company；　but　they　were　few！　It　was　one　of　Edward　Bok's　greatest　surprises；　but　it　was　also　one　of　his　greatest　stimulants。　To　go　where　others　could　not　go；　or　were　loath　to　go；　where　at　least　they　were　not；　had　a　tang　that　savored　of　the　freshest　kind　of　adventure。　And　the　way　was　so　simple；　so　much　simpler；　in　fact；　than　its　avoidance；　which　called　for　so　much　argument；　explanation；　and　discussion。　One　had　merely　to　do　all　that　one　could　do；　a　little　more　than　one　was　asked　or　expected　to　do；　and　immediately　one's　head　rose　above　the　crowd　and　one　was　in　an　employer's　eyewhere　it　is　always　so　satisfying　for　an　employee　to　be！　And　as　so　few　heads　lifted　themselves　above　the　many；　there　was　never　any　danger　that　they　would　not　be　seen。

Of　course；　Edward　Bok　had　to　prove　to　himself　that　his　conception　of　conditions　was　right。　He　felt　instinctively　that　it　was；　however；　and　with　this　stimulus　he　bucked　the　line　hard。　When　others　played；　he　worked；　fully　convinced　that　his　play…time　would　come　later。　Where　others　shirked；　he　assumed。　Where　others　lagged；　he　accelerated　his　pace。　Where　others　were　indifferent　to　things　around　them；　he　observed　and　put　away　the　results　for　possible　use　later。　He　did　not　make　of　himself　a　pack…horse；　what　he　undertook