the americanization of edward bok-第37章

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ever　she　chose　to　live；　to　make　it　possible　for　her　to　spend　the　winters　in　the　United　States　and　the　summers　in　the　Netherlands；　and　thus　to　keep　in　touch　with　her　family　and　friends　in　both　countries。　He　had　for　years　toiled　unceasingly　to　reach　this　point：　he　felt　he　had　now　achieved　at　least　one　goal。

He　had　now　turned　instinctively　to　the　making　of　a　home　for　himself。　After　an　engagement　of　four　years　he　had　been　married；　on　October　22；　1896；　to　Mary　Louise　Curtis；　the　only　child　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Cyrus　H。　K。　Curtis；　two　sons　had　been　born　to　them；　he　had　built　and　was　occupying　a　house　at　Merion；　Pennsylvania；　a　suburb　six　miles　from　the　Philadelphia　City　Hall。　When　she　was　in　this　country　his　mother　lived　with　him；　and　also　his　brother；　and；　with　a　strong　belief　in　life　insurance；　he　had　seen　to　it　that　his　family　was　provided　for　in　case　of　personal　incapacity　or　of　his　demise。　In　other　words；　he　felt　that　he　had　put　his　own　house　in　order；　he　had　carried　out　what　he　felt　is　every　man's　duty：　to　be；　first　of　all；　a　careful　and　adequate　provider　for　his　family。　He　was　now　at　the　point　where　he　could　begin　to　work　for　another　goal；　the　goal　that　he　felt　so　few　American　men　saw：　the　point　in　his　life　where　he　could　retire　from　the　call　of　duty　and　follow　the　call　of　inclination。

At　the　age　of　forty　he　tried　to　look　ahead　and　plan　out　his　life　as　far　as　he　could。　Barring　unforeseen　obstacles；　he　determined　to　retire　from　active　business　when　he　reached　his　fiftieth　year；　and　give　the　remainder　of　his　life　over　to　those　interests　and　influences　which　he　assumed　now　as　part　of　his　life；　and　which；　at　fifty；　should　seem　to　him　best　worth　while。　He　realized　that　in　order　to　do　this　he　must　do　two　things：　he　must　husband　his　financial　resources　and　he　must　begin　to　accumulate　a　mental　reserve。

The　wide　public　acceptance　of　the　periodical　which　he　edited　naturally　brought　a　share　of　financial　success　to　him。　He　had　experienced　poverty；　and　as　he　subsequently　wrote；　in　an　article　called　〃Why　I　Believe　in　Poverty；〃　he　was　deeply　grateful　for　his　experience。　He　had　known　what　it　was　to　be　poor；　he　had　seen　others　dear　to　him　suffer　for　the　bare　necessities；　there　was；　in　fact；　not　a　single　step　on　that　hard　road　that　he　had　not　travelled。　He　could；　therefore；　sympathize　with　the　fullest　understanding　with　those　similarly　situated；　could　help　as　one　who　knew　from　practice　and　not　from　theory。　He　realized　what　a　marvellous　blessing　poverty　can　be；　but　as　a　condition　to　experience；　to　derive　from　it　poignant　lessons；　and　then　to　get　out　of；　not　as　a　condition　to　stay　in。

Of　course　many　said　to　Bok　when　he　wrote　the　article　in　which　he　expressed　these　beliefs：　〃That's　all　very　well；　easy　enough　to　say；　but　how　can　you　get　out　of　it？〃　Bok　realized　that　he　could　not　definitely　show　any　one　the　way。　No　one　had　shown　him。　No　two　persons　can　find　the　same　way　out。　Bok　determined　to　lift　himself　out　of　poverty　because　his　mother　was　not　born　in　it；　did　not　belong　in　it；　and　could　not　stand　it。　That　gave　him　the　first　essential：　a　purpose。　Then　he　backed　up　the　purpose　with　effort　and　an　ever…ready　willingness　to　work；　and　to　work　at　anything　that　came　his　way；　no　matter　what　it　was；　so　long　as　it　meant　〃the　way　out。〃　He　did　not　pick　and　choose；　he　took　what　came；　and　did　it　in　the　best　way　he　knew　how；　and　when　he　did　not　like　what　he　was　doing　he　still　did　it　as　well　as　he　could　while　he　was　doing　it；　but　always　with　an　eye　single　to　the　purpose　not　to　do　it　any　longer　than　was　strictly　necessary。　He　used　every　rung　in　the　ladder　as　a　rung　to　the　one　above。　He　always　gave　more　than　his　particular　position　or　salary　asked　for。　He　never　worked　by　the　clock；　always　by　the　job；　and　saw　that　it　was　well　done　regardless　of　the　time　it　took　to　do　it。　This　meant　effort；　of　course；　untiring；　ceaseless；　unsparing；　and　it　meant　work；　hard　as　nails。

He　was　particularly　careful　never　to　live　up　to　his　income；　and　as　his　income　increased　he　increased　not　the　percentage　of　expenditure　but　the　percentage　of　saving。　Thrift　was；　of　course；　inborn　with　him　as　a　Dutchman；　but　the　necessity　for　it　as　a　prime　factor　in　life　was　burned　into　him　by　his　experience　with　poverty。　But　he　interpreted　thrift　not　as　a　trait　of　niggardliness；　but　as　Theodore　Roosevelt　interpreted　it：　common　sense　applied　to　spending。

At　forty；　therefore；　he　felt　he　had　learned　the　first　essential　to　carrying　out　his　idea　of　retirement　at　fifty。

The　second　essentialvaried　interests　outside　of　his　business　upon　which　he　could　rely　on　relinquishing　his　dutieshe　had　not　cultivated。　He　had　quite　naturally；　in　line　with　his　belief　that　concentration　means　success；　immersed　himself　in　his　business　to　the　exclusion　of　almost　everything　else。　He　felt　that　he　could　now　spare　a　certain　percentage　of　his　time　to　follow　Theodore　Roosevelt's　ideas　and　let　the　breezes　of　other　worlds　blow　over　him。　In　that　way　he　could　do　as　Roosevelt　suggested　and　as　Bok　now　firmly　believed　was　right：　he　could　develop　himself　along　broader　lines；　albeit　the　lines　of　his　daily　work　were　broadening　in　and　of　themselves；　and　he　could　so　develop　a　new　set　of　inner　resources　upon　which　he　could　draw　when　the　time　came　to　relinquish　his　editorial　position。

He　saw；　on　every　side；　the　pathetic　figures　of　men　who　could　not　let　go　after　their　greatest　usefulness　was　past；　of　other　men　who　dropped　before　they　realized　their　arrival　at　the　end　of　the　road；　and；　most　pathetic　of　all；　of　men　who　having　retired；　but　because　of　lack　of　inner　resources　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　themselves；　had　become　a　trial　to　themselves；　their　families；　and　their　communities。

Bok　decided　that；　given　health　and　mental　freshness；　he　would　say　good…by　to　his　public　before　his　public　might　decide　to　say　good…by　to　him。　So；　at　forty；　he　candidly　faced　the　facts　of　life　and　began　to　prepare　himself　for　his　retirement　at　fifty　under　circumstances　that　would　be　of　his　own　making　and　not　those　of　others。

And　thereby　Edward　Bok　proved　that　he　was　still；　by　instinct；　a　Dutchman；　and　had　not　in　his　thirty…four　years　of　residence　in　the　United　States　become　so　thoroughly　Americanized　as　he　believed。

However；　it　was　an　American；　albeit　of　Dutch　extraction；　one　whom　he　believed　to　be　the　greatest　American　in　his　own　day；　who　had　set　him　thinking　and　shown　him　the　way。



XXIV。　Theodore　Roosevelt's　Anonymous　Editorial　Work

While　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　President　of　the　United　States；　Bok　was　sitting　one　evening　talking　with　him；　when　suddenly　Mr。　Roosevelt　turned　to　him　and　said　with　his　usual　emphasis：　〃Bok；　I　envy　you　your　power　with　your　public。〃

The　editor　was　frankly　puzzled。

〃That　is　a　strange　remark　from　the　President　of　the　United　States；〃　he　replied。

〃You　may　think　so；〃　was　the　rejoinder。　〃But　listen。　When　do　I　get　the　ear　of　the　public？　In　its　busiest　moments。　My　messages　are　printed　in　the　newspapers　and　read　hurriedly；　mostly　by　men　in　trolleys　or　railroad…cars。　Women　hardly　ever　read　them；　I　should　judge。　Now　you　are　read　in　the　evening　by　the　fireside　or　under　the　lamp；　when　the　day's　work　is　over　and　the　mind　is　at　rest　from　other　things　and　receptive　to　what　you　offer。　Don't　you　see　where　you　have　it　on　me？〃

This　diagnosis　was　keenly　interesting；　and　while　the　President　talked　during　the　balance　of　the　evening；　Bok　was　thinking。　Finally；　he　said：　〃Mr。　President；　I　should　like　to　share　my　power　with　you。〃

〃How？〃　asked　Mr。　Roosevelt。

〃You　recognize　that　women　do　not　read　your　messages；　and　yet　no　President's　messages　ever　discussed　more　ethical　questions　that　women　should　know　about　and　get　straight　in　their　minds。　As　it　is；　some　of　your　ideas　are　not　at　all　understood　by　them；　your　strenuous…life　theory；　for　instance；　your　factory…law　ideas；　and　particularly　your　race…suicide　arguments。　Men　don't　fully　understand　them；　for　that　matter；　women　certainly　do　not。〃

〃I　am　aware　of　all　that；〃　said　the　President。　〃What　is　your　plan　to　remedy　it？〃

〃Have　a　department　in　my　magazine；　and　explain　your　ideas；〃　suggested　Bok。

〃Haven't　time　for　another　thing。　You　know　that；〃　snapped　back　the　President。　〃Wish　I　had。〃

〃Not　to　write　it；　perhaps；　yourself；〃　returned　Bok。

〃But　why　couldn't　you　find　time　to　do　this：　select　the　writer　here　in　Washington　in　whose　accuracy　you　have　the　most　implicit　faith；　let　him　talk　with　you　for　one　hour　each　month　on　one　of　those　subjects；　let　him　write　out　your　views；　and　submit　the　manuscript　to　you；　and　we　will　have　a　department　stating　exactly　how　the　material　is　obtained　and　how　far　it　represents　your　own　work。　In　that　way；　with　only　an　hour's　work　each　month；　you　can　get　your　views；　correctly　stated；　before　this　vast　audience　when　it　is　not　in　trolleys　or　railroadcars。〃

〃But　I　haven't　the　hour；〃　answered　Roosevelt；　impressed；　however；　as　Bok　saw。　〃I　have　only　half　an　hour；　when　I　am　awake；　when　I　am　really　idle；　and　that　is　when　I　am　being　shaved。〃

〃Well；〃　calmly　suggested　the　editor；　〃why　not　two　of　those　half…hours　a　month；　or　perhaps　one？〃

〃What？〃　answered　the　President；　sitting　upright；　his　teeth　flashing　but　his　smile　broadening。　〃You　Dutchman；　you'd　make　me　work　while　I'm　getting　shaved；　too？〃

〃Well；〃　was　the　answer；　〃isn't　the　result　worth　the　effort？〃

〃Bok；　you　are　absolutely　relentless；〃　said　the　President。　〃But　you're　right。　The　result　would　be　worth　the　effort。　What　writer　have　you　in　mind？　You　seem　to　have　thought　this　thing　through。〃

〃How　about　O'Brien？　You　think　well　of　him？〃

（Robert　L。　O'Brien；　now　editor　of　the　Boston　Herald；　was　then　Washington　correspondent　for　the　Boston　Transcript　and　thoroughly　in　the　President's　confidence。）

〃Fine；〃　said　the　President。　〃I　trust　O'Brien　implicitly。　All　right；　if　you　can　get　O'Brien　to　add　it　on；　I'll　try　it。〃

And　so　the　〃shaving　interviews〃　were　begun；　and　early　in　1906　there　appeared　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　a　department　called　〃The　President；〃　with　the　subtitle：　〃A　Department　in　which　will　be　presented　the　attitude　of　the　President　on　those　national　questions　which　affect　the　vital　interests　of　the　home；　by　a　writer　intimately　acquainted　and　in　close　touch　with　him。〃

O'Brien　talked　with　Mr。　Roosevelt　once　a　month；　wrote　out　the　results；　the　President　went　over　the　proofs　carefully；　and　the　department　was　conducted　with　great　success　for　a　year。

But　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　again　to　be　the　editor　of　a　department　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　this　time　to　be　written　by　himself　under　the　strictest　possible　anonymity；　so　closely　adhered　to　that；　until　this　revelation；　only　five　persons　have　known　the　authorship。

Feeling　that　it　would　be　an　interesting　experiment　to　see　how　far　Theodore　Roosevelt's　ideas　could　stand　unsupported　by　the　authority　of　his　vibrant　personality；　Bok　suggested　the　plan　to　the　colonel。　It　was　just　after　he　had　returned　from　his　South　American　trip。　He　was　immediately　interested。

〃But　how　can　we　keep　the　authorship　really　anonymous？〃　he　asked。

〃Easily　enough；〃　answered　Bok；　〃if　you're　willing　to　do　the　work。　Our　letters　about　it　must　be　written　in　long　hand　addressed　to　each　other's　homes；　you　must　write　your　manuscript　in　your　own　hand；　I　will　copy　it　in　mine；　and　it　will　go　to　the　printer　in　that　way。　I　will　personally　send　you　the　proofs；　you　mark　your　correcti