the americanization of edward bok-第27章

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teresting　proposition　that　the　President　has　told　me　about。〃

The　two　discussed　the　matter　and　completed　arrangements　whereby　Mr。　Blaine　was　to　undertake　the　work。　Toward　the　latter　end　of　the　talk；　Bok　had　covertlyas　he　thoughtlooked　at　his　watch　to　keep　track　of　his　train。

〃It's　all　right　about　that　train；〃　came　from　Mr。　Blaine；　with　his　back　toward　Bok；　writing　some　data　of　the　talk　at　his　desk。　〃You'll　make　it　all　right。〃

Bok　wondered　how　he　should；　as　it　then　lacked　only　seventeen　minutes　of　four。　But　as　Mr。　Blaine　reached　the　front　door；　he　said　to　the　editor：　〃My　carriage　is　waiting　at　the　curb　to　take　you　to　the　station；　and　the　coachman　has　your　seat　in　the　parlor　car。〃

And　with　this　knightly　courtesy；　Mr。　Blaine　shook　hands　with　Bok；　who　was　never　again　to　see　him；　nor　was　the　contract　ever　to　be　fulfilled。　For　early　in　1893　Mr。　Blaine　passed　away　without　having　begun　the　work。

Again　Bok　turned　to　the　President；　and　explained　to　him　that；　for　some　reason　or　other；　the　way　seemed　to　point　to　him　to　write　the　articles　himself。　By　that　time　President　Harrison　had　decided　that　he　would　not　succeed　himself。　Accordingly　he　entered　into　an　agreement　with　the　editor　to　begin　to　write　the　articles　immediately　upon　his　retirement　from　office。　And　the　day　after　Inauguration　Day　every　newspaper　contained　an　Associated　Press　despatch　announcing　the　former　President's　contract　with　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。

Shortly　afterward；　Benjamin　Harrison's　articles　on　〃This　Country　of　Ours〃　successfully　appeared　in　the　magazine。

During　Bok's　negotiations　with　President　Harrison　in　connection　with　his　series　of　articles；　he　was　called　to　the　White　House　for　a　conference。　It　was　midsummer。　Mrs。　Harrison　was　away　at　the　seashore；　and　the　President　was　taking　advantage　of　her　absence　by　working　far　into　the　night。

The　President；　his　secretary；　and　Bok　sat　down　to　dinner。

The　Marine　Band　was　giving　its　weekly　concert　on　the　green；　and　after　dinner　the　President　suggested　that　Bok　and　he　adjourn　to　the　〃back　lot〃　and　enjoy　the　music。

〃You　have　a　coat？〃　asked　the　President。

〃No；　thank　you；〃　Bok　answered。　〃I　don't　need　one。〃

〃Not　in　other　places；　perhaps；〃　he　said；　〃but　here　you　do。　The　dampness　comes　up　from　the　Potomac　at　nightfall；　and　it's　just　as　well　to　be　careful。　It's　Mrs。　Harrison's　dictum；〃　he　added　smiling。　〃Halford；　send　up　for　one　of　my　light　coats；　will　you；　please？〃

Bok　remarked；　as　he　put　on　the　President's　coat；　that　this　was　probably　about　as　near　as　he　should　ever　get　to　the　presidency。

〃Well；　it's　a　question　whether　you　want　to　get　nearer　to　it；〃　answered　the　President。　He　looked　very　white　and　tired　in　the　moonlight。

〃Still；〃　Bok　said　with　a　smile；　〃some　folks　seem　to　like　it　well　enough　to　wish　to　get　it　a　second　time。〃

〃True；〃　he　answered；　〃but　that's　what　pride　will　do　for　a　man。　Try　one　of　these　cigars。〃

A　cigar！　Bok　had　been　taking　his　tobacco　in　smaller　doses　with　paper　around　them。　He　had　never　smoked　a　cigar。　Still；　one　cannot　very　well　refuse　a　presidential　cigar！

〃Thank　you；〃　Bok　said　as　he　took　one　from　the　President's　case。　He　looked　at　the　cigar　and　remembered　all　he　had　read　of　Benjamin　Harrison's　black　cigars。　This　one　was　blackinky　blackand　big。

〃Allow　me；〃　he　heard　the　President　suddenly　say；　as　he　handed　him　a　blazing　match。　There　was　no　escape。　The　aroma　was　delicious；　butTwo　or　three　whiffs　of　that　cigar；　and　Bok　decided　the　best　thing　to　do　was　to　let　it　go　out。　He　did。

〃I　have　allowed　you　to　talk　so　much；〃　said　the　President　after　a　while；　〃that　you　haven't　had　a　chance　to　smoke。　Allow　me；〃　and　another　match　crackled　into　flame。

〃Thank　you；〃　the　editor　said；　as　once　more　he　lighted　the　cigar；　and　the　fumes　went　clear　up　into　the　farthest　corner　of　his　brain。

〃Take　a　fresh　cigar；〃　said　the　President　after　a　while。　〃That　doesn't　seem　to　burn　well。　You　will　get　one　like　that　once　in　a　while；　although　I　am　careful　about　my　cigars。〃

〃No；　thanks；　Mr。　President；〃　Bok　said　hurriedly。　〃It's　I；　not　the　cigar。〃

〃Well；　prove　it　to　me　with　another；〃　was　the　quick　rejoinder；　as　he　held　out　his　case；　and　in　another　minute　a　match　again　crackled。　〃There　is　only　one　thing　worse　than　a　bad　smoke；　and　that　is　an　office…seeker；〃　chuckled　the　President。

Bok　couldn't　prove　that　the　cigars　were　bad；　naturally。　So　smoke　that　cigar　he　did；　to　the　bitter　end；　and　it　was　bitter！　In　fifteen　minutes　his　head　and　stomach　were　each　whirling　around；　and　no　more　welcome　words　had　Bok　ever　heard　than　when　the　President　said：　〃Well；　suppose　we　go　in。　Halford　and　I　have　a　day's　work　ahead　of　us　yet。〃

The　President　went　to　work。

Bok　went　to　bed。　He　could　not　get　there　quick　enough；　and　he　didn'tthat　is；　not　before　he　had　experienced　that　same　sensation　of　which　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes　wrote：　he　never　could　understand；　he　said；　why　young　authors　found　so　much　trouble　in　getting　into　the　magazines；　for　his　first　trip　to　Europe　was　not　a　day　old　before；　without　even　the　slightest　desire　or　wish　on　his　part；　he　became　a　contributor　to　the　Atlantic！

The　next　day；　and　for　days　after；　Bok　smelled；　tasted；　and　felt　that　presidential　cigar！

A　few　weeks　afterward；　Bok　was　talking　after　dinner　with　the　President　at　a　hotel　in　New　York；　when　once　more　the　cigar…case　came　out　and　was　handed　to　Bok。

〃No；　thank　you；　Mr。　President；〃　was　the　instant　reply；　as　visions　of　his　night　in　the　White　House　came　back　to　him。　〃I　am　like　the　man　from　the　West　who　was　willing　to　try　anything　once。〃

And　he　told　the　President　the　story　of　the　White　House　cigar。

The　editor　decided　to　follow　General　Harrison's　discussion　of　American　affairs　by　giving　his　readers　a　glimpse　of　foreign　politics；　and　he　fixed　upon　Mr。　Gladstone　as　the　one　figure　abroad　to　write　for　him。　He　sailed　for　England；　visited　Hawarden　Castle；　and　proposed　to　Mr。　Gladstone　that　he　should　write　a　series　of　twelve　autobiographical　articles　which　later　could　be　expanded　into　a　book。

Bok　offered　fifteen　thousand　dollars　for　the　twelve　articlesa　goodly　price　in　those　daysand　he　saw　that　the　idea　and　the　terms　attracted　the　English　statesman。　But　he　also　saw　that　the　statesman　was　not　quite　ready。　He　decided；　therefore；　to　leave　the　matter　with　him；　and　keep　the　avenue　of　approach　favorably　open　by　inducing　Mrs。　Gladstone　to　write　for　him。　Bok　knew　that　Mrs。　Gladstone　had　helped　her　husband　in　his　literary　work；　that　she　was　a　woman　who　had　lived　a　full…rounded　life；　and　after　a　day's　visit　and　persuasion；　with　Mr。　Gladstone　as　an　amused　looker…on；　the　editor　closed　a　contract　with　Mrs。　Gladstone　for　a　series　of　reminiscent　articles　〃From　a　Mother's　Life。〃

Some　time　after　Bok　had　sent　the　check　to　Mrs。　Gladstone；　he　received　a　letter　from　Mr。　Gladstone　expressing　the　opinion　that　his　wife　must　have　written　with　a　golden　pen；　considering　the　size　of　the　honorarium。　〃But；〃　he　added；　〃she　is　so　impressed　with　this　as　the　first　money　she　has　ever　earned　by　her　pen　that　she　is　reluctant　to　part　with　the　check。　The　result　is　that　she　has　not　offered　it　for　deposit；　and　has　decided　to　frame　it。　Considering　the　condition　of　our　exchequer；　I　have　tried　to　explain　to　her；　and　so　have　my　son　and　daughter；　that　if　she　were　to　present　the　check　for　payment　and　allow　it　to　pass　through　the　bank；　the　check　would　come　back　to　you　and　that　I　am　sure　your　company　would　return　it　to　her　as　a　souvenir　of　the　momentous　occasion。　Our　arguments　are　of　no　avail；　however；　and　it　occurred　to　me　that　an　assurance　from　you　might　make　the　check　more　useful　than　it　is　at　present！〃

Bok　saw　with　this　disposition　that；　as　he　had　hoped；　the　avenue　of　favorable　approach　to　Mr。　Gladstone　had　been　kept　open。　The　next　summer　Bok　again　visited　Hawarden；　where　he　found　the　statesman　absorbed　in　writing　a　life　of　Bishop　Butler；　from　which　it　was　difficult　for　him　to　turn　away。　He　explained　that　it　would　take　at　least　a　year　or　two　to　finish　this　work。　Bok　saw；　of　course；　his　advantage；　and　closed　a　contract　with　the　English　statesman　whereby　he　was　to　write　the　twelve　autobiographical　articles　immediately　upon　his　completion　of　the　work　then　under　his　hand。

Here　again；　however；　as　in　the　case　of　Mr。　Blaine；　the　contract　was　never　fulfilled；　for　Mr。　Gladstone　passed　away　before　he　could　free　his　mind　and　begin　on　the　work。

The　vicissitudes　of　an　editor's　life　were　certainly　beginning　to　demonstrate　themselves　to　Edward　Bok。

The　material　that　the　editor　was　publishing　and　the　authors　that　he　was　laying　under　contribution　began　to　have　marked　effect　upon　the　circulation　of　the　magazine；　and　it　was　not　long　before　the　original　figures　were　doubled；　an　editionenormous　for　that　dayof　seven　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　copies　was　printed　and　sold　each　month；　the　magical　figure　of　a　million　was　in　sight；　and　the　periodical　was　rapidly　taking　its　place　as　one　of　the　largest　successes　of　the　day。

Mr。　Curtis's　single　proprietorship　of　the　magazine　had　been　changed　into　a　corporation　called　The　Curtis　Publishing　Company；　with　a　capital　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　with　Mr。　Curtis　as　president；　and　Bok　as　vice…president。

The　magazine　had　by　no　means　an　easy　road　to　travel　financially。　The　doubling　of　the　subscription　price　to　one　dollar　per　year　had　materially　checked　the　income　for　the　time　being；　the　huge　advertising　bills；　sometimes　exceeding　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　a　year；　were　difficult　to　pay；　large　credit　had　to　be　obtained；　and　the　banks　were　carrying　a　considerable　quantity　of　Mr。　Curtis's　notes。　But　Mr。　Curtis　never　wavered　in　his　faith　in　his　proposition　and　his　editor。　In　the　first　he　invested　all　he　had　and　could　borrow；　and　to　the　latter　he　gave　his　undivided　support。　The　two　men　worked　together　rather　as　father　and　sonas；　curiously　enough；　they　were　to　be　laterthan　as　employer　and　employee。　To　Bok；　the　daily　experience　of　seeing　Mr。　Curtis　finance　his　proposition　in　sums　that　made　the　publishing　world　of　that　day　gasp　with　sceptical　astonishment　was　a　wonderful　opportunity；　of　which　the　editor　took　full　advantage　so　as　to　learn　the　intricacies　of　a　world　which　up　to　that　time　he　had　known　only　in　a　limited　way。

What　attracted　Bok　immensely　to　Mr。　Curtis's　methods　was　their　perfect　simplicity　and　directness。　He　believed　absolutely　in　the　final　outcome　of　his　proposition：　where　others　saw　mist　and　failure　ahead；　he　saw　clear　weather　and　the　port　of　success。　Never　did　he　waver：　never　did　he　deflect　from　his　course。　He　knew　no　path　save　the　direct　one　that　led　straight　to　success；　and；　through　his　eyes；　he　made　Bok　see　it　with　equal　clarity　until　Bok　wondered　why　others　could　not　see　it。　But　they　could　not。　Cyrus　Curtis　would　never　be　able；　they　said；　to　come　out　from　under　the　load　he　had　piled　up。　Where　they　differed　from　Mr。　Curtis　was　in　their　lack　of　vision：　they　could　not　see　what　he　saw！

It　has　been　said　that　Mr。　Curtis　banished　patent…medicine　advertisements　from　his　magazine　only　when　he　could　afford　to　do　so。　That　is　not　true；　as　a　simple　incident　will　show。　In　the　early　days；　he　and　Bok　were　opening　the　mail　one　Friday　full　of　anxiety　because　the　pay…roll　was　due　that　evening；　and　there　was　not　enough　money　in　the　bank　to　meet　it。　From　one　of　the　letters　dropped　a　certified　check　for　five　figures　for　a　contract　equal　to　five　pages　i