the americanization of edward bok-第28章

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m　one　of　the　letters　dropped　a　certified　check　for　five　figures　for　a　contract　equal　to　five　pages　in　the　magazine。　It　was　a　welcome　sight；　for　it　meant　an　easy　meeting　of　the　pay…roll　for　that　week　and　two　succeeding　weeks。　But　the　check　was　from　a　manufacturing　patent…medicine　company。　Without　a　moment's　hesitation；　Mr。　Curtis　slipped　it　back　into　the　envelope；　saying：　〃Of　course；　that　we　can't　take。〃　He　returned　the　check；　never　gave　the　matter　a　second　thought；　and　went　out　and　borrowed　more　money　to　meet　his　pay…roll！

With　all　respect　to　American　publishers；　there　are　very　few　who　could　have　done　thisor　indeed；　would　do　it　to…day；　under　similar　conditionsparticularly　in　that　day　when　it　was　the　custom　for　all　magazines　to　accept　patent…medicine　advertising；　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　was　practically　the　only　publication　of　standing　in　the　United　States　refusing　that　class　of　business！

Bok　now　saw　advertising　done　on　a　large　scale　by　a　man　who　believed　in　plenty　of　white　space　surrounding　the　announcement　in　the　advertisement。　He　paid　Mr。　Howells　10；000　for　his　autobiography；　and　Mr。　Curtis　spent　50；000　in　advertising　it。　〃It　is　not　expense；〃　he　would　explain　to　Bok；　〃it　is　investment。　We　are　investing　in　a　trade…mark。　It　will　all　come　back　in　time。〃　And　when　the　first　100；000　did　not　come　back　as　Mr。　Curtis　figured；　he　would　send　another　100；000　after　it；　and　then　both　came　back。

Bok's　experience　in　advertisement　writing　was　now　to　stand　him　in　excellent　stead。　He　wrote　all　the　advertisements　and　from　that　day　to　the　day　of　his　retirement；　practically　every　advertisement　of　the　magazine　was　written　by　him。

Mr。　Curtis　believed　that　the　editor　should　write　the　advertisements　of　a　magazine's　articles。　〃You　are　the　one　who　knows　them；　what　is　in　them　and　your　purpose；〃　he　said　to　Bok；　who　keenly　enjoyed　this　advertisement　writing。　He　put　less　and　less　in　his　advertisements。　Mr。　Curtis　made　them　larger　and　larger　in　the　space　which　they　occupied　in　the　media　used。　In　this　way　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　advertisements　became　distinctive　for　their　use　of　white　space；　and　as　the　advertising　world　began　to　say：　〃You　can't　miss　them。〃　Only　one　feature　was　advertised　at　one　time；　but　the　〃feature〃　was　always　carefully　selected　for　its　wide　popular　appeal；　and　then　Mr。　Curtis　spared　no　expense　to　advertise　it　abundantly。　As　much　as　400；000　was　spent　in　one　year　in　advertising　only　a　few　featuresa　gigantic　sum　in　those　days；　approached　by　no　other　periodical。　But　Mr。　Curtis　believed　in　showing　the　advertising　world　that　he　was　willing　to　take　his　own　medicine。

Naturally；　such　a　campaign　of　publicity　announcing　the　most　popular　attractions　offered　by　any　magazine　of　the　day　had　but　one　effect：　the　circulation　leaped　forward　by　bounds；　and　the　advertising　columns　of　the　magazine　rapidly　filled　up。

The　success　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　began　to　look　like　an　assured　fact；　even　to　the　most　sceptical。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　only　at　its　beginning；　as　both　publisher　and　editor　knew。　But　they　desired　to　fill　the　particular　field　of　the　magazine　so　quickly　and　fully　that　there　would　be　small　room　for　competition。　The　woman's　magazine　field　was　to　belong　to　them！



XIX。　Personality　Letters

Edward　Bok　was　always　interested　in　the　manner　in　which　personality　was　expressed　in　letters。　For　this　reason　he　adopted；　as　a　boy；　the　method　of　collecting　not　mere　autographs；　but　letters　characteristic　of　their　writers　which　should　give　interesting　insight　into　the　most　famous　men　and　women　of　the　day。　He　secured　what　were　really　personality　letters。

One　of　these　writers　was　Mark　Twain。　The　humorist　was　not　kindly　disposed　toward　autograph　collectors；　and　the　fact　that　in　this　case　the　collector　aimed　to　raise　the　standard　of　the　hobby　did　not　appease　him。　Still；　it　brought　forth　a　characteristic　letter：

〃I　hope　I　shall　not　offend　you；　I　shall　certainly　say　nothing　with　the　intention　to　offend　you。　I　must　explain　myself；　however；　and　I　will　do　it　as　kindly　as　I　can。　What　you　ask　me　to　do；　I　am　asked　to　do　as　often　as　one…half　dozen　times　a　week。　Three　hundred　letters　a　year！　One's　impulse　is　to　freely　consent；　but　one's　time　and　necessary　occupations　will　not　permit　it。　There　is　no　way　but　to　decline　in　all　cases；　making　no　exceptions；　and　I　wish　to　call　your　attention　to　a　thing　which　has　probably　not　occurred　to　you；　and　that　is　this：　that　no　man　takes　pleasure　in　exercising　his　trade　as　a　pastime。　Writing　is　my　trade；　and　I　exercise　it　only　when　I　am　obliged　to。　You　might　make　your　request　of　a　doctor；　or　a　builder；　or　a　sculptor；　and　there　would　be　no　impropriety　in　it；　but　if　you　asked　either　of　those　for　a　specimen　of　his　trade；　his　handiwork；　he　would　be　justified　in　rising　to　a　point　of　order。　It　would　never　be　fair　to　ask　a　doctor　for　one　of　his　corpses　to　remember　him　by。

〃MARK　TWAIN〃。

At　another　time；　after　an　interesting　talk　with　Mark　Twain；　Bok　wrote　an　account　of　the　interview；　with　the　humorist's　permission。　Desirous　that　the　published　account　should　be　in　every　respect　accurate；　the　manuscript　was　forwarded　to　Mark　Twain　for　his　approval。　This　resulted　in　the　following　interesting　letter：

〃MY　DEAR　MR。　BOK：

〃No；　noit　is　like　most　interviews；　pure　twaddle；　and　valueless。

〃For　several　quite　plain　and　simple　reasons；　an　'interview'　must；　as　a　rule；　be　an　absurdity。　And　chiefly　for　this　reason：　it　is　an　attempt　to　use　a　boat　on　land；　or　a　wagon　on　water；　to　speak　figuratively。　Spoken　speech　is　one　thing；　written　speech　is　quite　another。　Print　is　a　proper　vehicle　for　the　latter；　but　it　isn't　for　the　former。　The　moment　'talk'　is　put　into　print　you　recognize　that　it　is　not　what　it　was　when　you　heard　it；　you　perceive　that　an　immense　something　has　disappeared　from　it。　That　is　its　soul。　You　have　nothing　but　a　dead　carcass　left　on　your　hands。　Color；　play　of　feature；　the　varying　modulations　of　voice；　the　laugh；　the　smile；　the　informing　inflections；　everything　that　gave　that　body　warmth；　grace；　friendliness；　and　charm；　and　commended　it　to　your　affection；　or　at　least　to　your　tolerance；　is　gone；　and　nothing　is　left；　but　a　pallid；　stiff　and　repulsive　cadaver。

〃Such　is　'talk；'　almost　invariably；　as　you　see　it　lying　in　state　in　an　'interview。'　The　interviewer　seldom　tries　to　tell　one　how　a　thing　was　said；　he　merely　puts　in　the　naked　remark；　and　stops　there。　When　one　writes　for　print；　his　methods　are　very　different。　He　follows　forms　which　have　but　little　resemblance　to　conversation；　but　they　make　the　reader　understand　what　the　writer　is　trying　to　convey。　And　when　the　writer　is　making　a　story；　and　finds　it　necessary　to　report　some　of　the　talk　of　his　characters；　observe　how　cautiously　and　anxiously　he　goes　at　that　risky　and　difficult　thing：

〃'If　he　had　dared　to　say　that　thing　in　my　presence；'　said　Alfred；　taking　a　mock　heroic　attitude；　and　casting　an　arch　glance　upon　the　company；　'blood　would　have　flowed。'

〃'If　he　had　dared　to　say　that　thing　in　my　presence；'　said　Hawkwood；　with　that　in　his　eye　which　caused　more　than　one　heart　in　that　guilty　assemblage　to　quake；　'blood　would　have　flowed。'

〃'If　he　had　dared　to　say　that　thing　in　my　presence；'　said　the　paltry　blusterer；　with　valor　on　his　tongue　and　pallor　on　his　lips；　'blood　would　have　flowed。'

〃So　painfully　aware　is　the　novelist　that　naked　talk　in　print　conveys　no　meaning；　that　he　loads；　and　often　overloads；　almost　every　utterance　of　his　characters　with　explanations　and　interpretations。　It　is　a　loud　confession　that　print　is　a　poor　vehicle　for　'talk；'　it　is　a　recognition　that　uninterpreted　talk　in　print　would　result　in　confusion　to　the　reader；　not　instruction。

〃Now；　in　your　interview　you　have　certainly　been　most　accurate；　you　have　set　down　the　sentences　I　uttered　as　I　said　them。　But　you　have　not　a　word　of　explanation；　what　my　manner　was　at　several　points　is　not　indicated。　Therefore；　no　reader　can　possibly　know　where　I　was　in　earnest　and　where　I　was　joking；　or　whether　I　was　joking　altogether　or　in　earnest　altogether。　Such　a　report　of　a　conversation　has　no　value。　It　can　convey　many　meanings　to　the　reader；　but　never　the　right　one。　To　add　interpretations　which　would　convey　the　right　meaning　is　a　something　which　would　requirewhat？　An　art　so　high　and　fine　and　difficult　that　no　possessor　of　it　would　ever　be　allowed　to　waste　it　on　interviews。

〃No；　spare　the　reader　and　spare　me；　leave　the　whole　interview　out；　it　is　rubbish。　I　wouldn't　talk　in　my　sleep　if　I　couldn't　talk　better　than　that。

〃If　you　wish　to　print　anything；　print　this　letter；　it　may　have　some　value；　for　it　may　explain　to　a　reader　here　and　there　why　it　is　that　in　interviews　as　a　rule　men　seem　to　talk　like　anybody　but　themselves。

〃Sincerely　yours；

〃MARK　TWAIN。〃

The　Harpers　had　asked　Bok　to　write　a　book　descriptive　of　his　autograph…letter　collection；　and　he　had　consented。　The　propitious　moment；　however；　never　came　in　his　busy　life。　One　day　he　mentioned　the　fact　to　Doctor　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes　and　the　poet　said：　〃Let　me　write　the　introduction　for　it。〃　Bok；　of　course；　eagerly　accepted；　and　within　a　few　days　he　received　the　following；　which；　with　the　book；　never　reached　publication：

〃How　many　autograph　writers　have　had　occasion　to　say　with　the　Scotch　trespasser　climbing　his　neighbor's　wall；　when　asked　where　he　was　going　Bok　again！'

〃Edward　Bok　has　persevered　like　the　widow　in　scripture；　and　the　most　obdurate　subjects　of　his　quest　have　found　it　for　their　interest　to　give　in；　lest　by　his　continual　coming　he　should　weary　them。　We　forgive　him；　almost　admire　him　for　his　pertinacity；　only　let　him　have　no　imitators。　The　tax　he　has　levied　must　not　be　imposed　a　second　time。

〃An　autograph　of　a　distinguished　personage　means　more　to　an　imaginative　person　than　a　prosaic　looker…on　dreams　of。　Along　these　lines　ran　the　consciousness　and　the　guiding　will　of　Napoleon；　or　Washington；　of　Milton　or　Goethe。

〃His　breath　warmed　the　sheet　of　paper　which　you　have　before　you。　The　microscope　will　show　you　the　trail　of　flattened　particles　left　by　the　tesselated　epidermis　of　his　hand　as　it　swept　along　the　manuscript。　Nay；　if　we　had　but　the　right　developing　fluid　to　flow　over　it；　the　surface　of　the　sheet　would　offer　you　his　photograph　as　the　light　pictured　it　at　the　instant　of　writing。

〃Look　at　Mr。　Bok's　collection　with　such　thoughts；　。。。and　you　will　cease　to　wonder　at　his　pertinacity　and　applaud　the　conquests　of　his　enthusiasm。

〃Oliver　Wendell　Holmes。〃

Whenever　biographers　of　the　New　England　school　of　writers　have　come　to　write　of　John　Greenleaf　Whittier；　they　have　been　puzzled　as　to　the　scanty　number　of　letters　and　private　papers　left　by　the　poet。　This　letter；　written　to　Bok；　in　comment　upon　a　report　that　the　poet　had　burned　all　his　letters；　is　illuminating：

〃Dear　Friend：

〃The　report　concerning　the　burning　of　my　letters　is　only　true　so　far　as　this：　some　years　ago　I　destroyed　a　large　collection　of　letters　I　had　received　not　from　any　regard　to　my　own　reputation；　but　from　the　fear　that　to　leave　them　liable　to　publicity　might　be　injurious　or　unpleasant　to　the　writers　or　their　friends。　They　covered　much　of　the　anti…slavery　period　and　the　War　of　the　Rebellion；　and　many　of　them　I　knew　were　strictly　private　and　confidential。　I　was　not　able　at　the　time　to　look　over　the　MS。　and　thought　it　safest　to　make　a　bonfi