the americanization of edward bok-第4章

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cret　purpose　of　seeing　Mr。　Elkins　set　forth　to　engage　in　the　momentous　business　of　making　books　and　periodicals。　Edward　would　look　after　the　superintendent's　form　until　it　was　lost　to　view；　then；　with　a　sigh；　he　would　go　to　school；　forgetting　all　about　the　Elkins　boy　whom　he　had　told　the　father　he　had　come　to　call　for！

One　day　Edward　was　introduced　to　a　girl　whose　father；　he　learned；　was　editor　of　the　New　York　Weekly。　Edward　could　not　quite　place　this　periodical；　he　had　never　seen　it；　he　had　never　heard　of　it。　So　he　bought　a　copy；　and　while　its　contents　seemed　strange；　and　its　air　unfamiliar　in　comparison　with　the　magazines　he　found　in　his　home；　still　an　editor　was　an　editor。　He　was　certainly　well　worth　knowing。　So　he　sought　his　newly　made　young　lady　friend；　asked　permission　to　call　upon　her；　and　to　Edward's　joy　was　introduced　to　her　father。　It　was　enough　for　Edward　to　look　furtively　at　the　editor　upon　his　first　call；　and　being　encouraged　to　come　again；　he　promptly　did　so　the　next　evening。　The　daughter　has　long　since　passed　away；　and　so　it　cannot　hurt　her　feelings　now　to　acknowledge　that　for　years　Edward　paid　court　to　her　only　that　he　might　know　her　father；　and　have　those　talks　with　him　about　editorial　methods　that　filled　him　with　ever…increasing　ambition　to　tread　the　path　that　leads　to　editorial　tribulations。

But　what　with　helping　his　mother；　tending　the　baker's　shop　in　after…school　hours；　serving　his　paper　route；　plying　his　street…car　trade；　and　acting　as　social　reporter；　it　soon　became　evident　to　Edward　that　he　had　not　much　time　to　prepare　his　school　lessons。　By　a　supreme　effort；　he　managed　to　hold　his　own　in　his　class；　but　no　more。　Instinctively；　he　felt　that　he　was　not　getting　all　that　he　might　from　his　educational　opportunities；　yet　the　need　for　him　to　add　to　the　family　income　was；　if　anything；　becoming　greater。　The　idea　of　leaving　school　was　broached　to　his　mother；　but　she　rebelled。　She　told　the　boy　that　he　was　earning　something　now　and　helping　much。　Perhaps　the　tide　with　the　father　would　turn　and　he　would　find　the　place　to　which　his　unquestioned　talents　entitled　him。　Finally　the　father　did。　He　associated　himself　with　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　as　translator；　a　position　for　which　his　easy　command　of　languages　admirably　fitted　him。　Thus；　for　a　time；　the　strain　upon　the　family　exchequer　was　lessened。

But　the　American　spirit　of　initiative　had　entered　deep　into　the　soul　of　Edward　Bok。　The　brother　had　left　school　a　year　before；　and　found　a　place　as　messenger　in　a　lawyer's　office；　and　when　one　evening　Edward　heard　his　father　say　that　the　office　boy　in　his　department　had　left；　he　asked　that　he　be　allowed　to　leave　school；　apply　for　the　open　position；　and　get　the　rest　of　his　education　in　the　great　world　itself。　It　was　not　easy　for　the　parents　to　see　the　younger　son　leave　school　at　so　early　an　age；　but　the　earnestness　of　the　boy　prevailed。

And　so；　at　the　age　of　thirteen；　Edward　Bok　left　school；　and　on　Monday；　August　7；　1876；　he　became　office　boy　in　the　electricians'　department　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company　at　six　dollars　and　twenty…five　cents　per　week。

And；　as　such　things　will　fall　out　in　this　curiously　strange　world；　it　happened　that　as　Edward　drew　up　his　chair　for　the　first　time　to　his　desk　to　begin　his　work　on　that　Monday　morning；　there　had　been　born　in　Boston；　exactly　twelve　hours　before；　a　girl…baby　who　was　destined　to　become　his　wife。　Thus　at　the　earliest　possible　moment　after　her　birth；　Edward　Bok　started　to　work　for　her！



III。　The　Hunger　for　Self…Education

With　school…days　ended；　the　question　of　self…education　became　an　absorbing　thought　with　Edward　Bok。　He　had　mastered　a　schoolboy's　English；　but　seven　years　of　public…school　education　was　hardly　a　basis　on　which　to　build　the　work　of　a　lifetime。　He　saw　each　day　in　his　duties　as　office　boy　some　of　the　foremost　men　of　the　time。　It　was　the　period　of　William　H。　Vanderbilt's　ascendancy　in　Western　Union　control；　and　the　railroad　millionnaire　and　his　companions；　Hamilton　McK。　Twombly；　James　H。　Banker；　Samuel　F。　Barger；　Alonzo　B。　Cornell；　Augustus　Schell；　William　Orton；　were　objects　of　great　interest　to　the　young　office　boy。　Alexander　Graham　Bell　and　Thomas　A。　Edison　were　also　constant　visitors　to　the　department。　He　knew　that　some　of　these　men；　too；　had　been　deprived　of　the　advantage　of　collegiate　training；　and　yet　they　had　risen　to　the　top。　But　how？　The　boy　decided　to　read　about　these　men　and　others；　and　find　out。　He　could　not；　however；　afford　the　separate　biographies；　so　he　went　to　the　libraries　to　find　a　compendium　that　would　authoritatively　tell　him　of　all　successful　men。　He　found　it　in　Appleton's　Encyclopedia；　and；　determining　to　have　only　the　best；　he　saved　his　luncheon　money；　walked　instead　of　riding　the　five　miles　to　his　Brooklyn　home；　and；　after　a　period　of　saving；　had　his　reward　in　the　first　purchase　from　his　own　earnings：　a　set　of　the　Encyclopedia。　He　now　read　about　all　the　successful　men；　and　was　encouraged　to　find　that　in　many　cases　their　beginnings　had　been　as　modest　as　his　own；　and　their　opportunities　of　education　as　limited。

One　day　it　occurred　to　him　to　test　the　accuracy　of　the　biographies　he　was　reading。　James　A。　Garfield　was　then　spoken　of　for　the　presidency；　Edward　wondered　whether　it　was　true　that　the　man　who　was　likely　to　be　President　of　the　United　States　had　once　been　a　boy　on　the　tow…path；　and　with　a　simple　directness　characteristic　of　his　Dutch　training；　wrote　to　General　Garfield；　asking　whether　the　boyhood　episode　was　true；　and　explaining　why　he　asked。　Of　course　any　public　man；　no　matter　how　large　his　correspondence；　is　pleased　to　receive　an　earnest　letter　from　an　information…seeking　boy。　General　Garfield　answered　warmly　and　fully。　Edward　showed　the　letter　to　his　father；　who　told　the　boy　that　it　was　valuable　and　he　should　keep　it。　This　was　a　new　idea。　He　followed　it　further：　if　one　such　letter　was　valuable；　how　much　more　valuable　would　be　a　hundred！　If　General　Garfield　answered　him；　would　not　other　famous　men？　Why　not　begin　a　collection　of　autograph　letters？　Everybody　collected　something。

Edward　had　collected　postage…stamps；　and　the　hobby　had；　incidentally；　helped　him　wonderfully　in　his　study　of　geography。　Why　should　not　autograph　letters　from　famous　persons　be　of　equal　service　in　his　struggle　for　self…education？　Not　simple　autographsthey　were　meaningless；　but　actual　letters　which　might　tell　him　something　useful。　It　never　occurred　to　the　boy　that　these　men　might　not　answer　him。

So　he　took　his　Encyclopediaits　trustworthiness　now　established　in　his　mind　by　General　Garfield's　letterand　began　to　study　the　lives　of　successful　men　and　women。　Then；　with　boyish　frankness；　he　wrote　on　some　mooted　question　in　one　famous　person's　life；　he　asked　about　the　date　of　some　important　event　in　another's；　not　given　in　the　Encyclopedia；　or　he　asked　one　man　why　he　did　this　or　why　some　other　man　did　that。

Most　interesting　were；　of　course；　the　replies。　Thus　General　Grant　sketched　on　an　improvised　map　the　exact　spot　where　General　Lee　surrendered　to　him；　Longfellow　told　him　how　he　came　to　write　〃Excelsior〃；　Whittier　told　the　story　of　〃The　Barefoot　Boy〃；　Tennyson　wrote　out　a　stanza　or　two　of　〃The　Brook；〃　upon　condition　that　Edward　would　not　again　use　the　word　〃awful；〃　which　the　poet　said　〃is　slang　for　'very；'〃　and　〃I　hate　slang。〃

One　day　the　boy　received　a　letter　from　the　Confederate　general　Jubal　A。　Early；　giving　the　real　reason　why　he　burned　Chambersburg。　A　friend　visiting　Edward's　father；　happening　to　see　the　letter；　recognized　in　it　a　hitherto…missing　bit　of　history；　and　suggested　that　it　be　published　in　the　New　York　Tribune。　The　letter　attracted　wide　attention　and　provoked　national　discussion。

This　suggested　to　the　editor　of　The　Tribune　that　Edward　might　have　other　equally　interesting　letters；　so　he　despatched　a　reporter　to　the　boy's　home。　This　reporter　was　Ripley　Hitchcock；　who　afterward　became　literary　adviser　for　the　Appletons　and　Harpers。　Of　course　Hitchcock　at　once　saw　a　〃story〃　in　the　boy's　letters；　and　within　a　few　days　The　Tribune　appeared　with　a　long　article　on　its　principal　news　page　giving　an　account　of　the　Brooklyn　boy's　remarkable　letters　and　how　he　had　secured　them。　The　Brooklyn　Eagle　quickly　followed　with　a　request　for　an　interview；　the　Boston　Globe　followed　suit；　the　Philadelphia　Public　Ledger　sent　its　New　York　correspondent；　and　before　Edward　was　aware　of　it；　newspapers　in　different　parts　of　the　country　were　writing　about　〃the　well…known　Brooklyn　autograph　collector。〃

Edward　Bok　was　quick　to　see　the　value　of　the　publicity　which　had　so　suddenly　come　to　him。　He　received　letters　from　other　autograph　collectors　all　over　the　country　who　sought　to　〃exchange〃　with　him。　References　began　to　creep　into　letters　from　famous　persons　to　whom　he　had　written；　saying　they　had　read　about　his　wonderful　collection　and　were　proud　to　be　included　in　it。　George　W。　Childs；　of　Philadelphia；　himself　the　possessor　of　probably　one　of　the　finest　collections　of　autograph　letters　in　the　country；　asked　Edward　to　come　to　Philadelphia　and　bring　his　collection　with　himwhich　he　did；　on　the　following　Sunday；　and　brought　it　back　greatly　enriched。

Several　of　the　writers　felt　an　interest　in　a　boy　who　frankly　told　them　that　he　wanted　to　educate　himself；　and　asked　Edward　to　come　and　see　them。　Accordingly；　when　they　lived　in　New　York　or　Brooklyn；　or　came　to　these　cities　on　a　visit；　he　was　quick　to　avail　himself　of　their　invitations。　He　began　to　note　each　day　in　the　newspapers　the　〃distinguished　arrivals〃　at　the　New　York　hotels；　and　when　any　one　with　whom　he　had　corresponded　arrived；　Edward　would；　after　business　hours；　go　up…town；　pay　his　respects；　and　thank　him　in　person　for　his　letters。　No　person　was　too　high　for　Edward's　boyish　approach；　President　Garfield；　General　Grant；　General　Sherman；　President　Hayesall　were　called　upon；　and　all　received　the　boy　graciously　and　were　interested　in　the　problem　of　his　self…education。　It　was　a　veritable　case　of　making　friends　on　every　hand；　friends　who　were　to　be　of　the　greatest　help　and　value　to　the　boy　in　his　after…years；　although　he　had　no　conception　of　it　at　the　time。

The　Fifth　Avenue　Hotel；　in　those　days　the　stopping…place　of　the　majority　of　the　famous　men　and　women　visiting　New　York；　represented　to　the　young　boy　who　came　to　see　these　celebrities　the　very　pinnacle　of　opulence。　Often　while　waiting　to　be　received　by　some　dignitary；　he　wondered　how　one　could　acquire　enough　means　to　live　at　a　place　of　such　luxury。　The　main　dining…room；　to　the　boy's　mind；　was　an　object　of　special　interest。　He　would　purposely　sneak　up…stairs　and　sit　on　one　of　the　soft　sofas　in　the　foyer　simply　to　see　the　well…dressed　diners　go　in　and　come　out。　Edward　would　speculate　on　whether　the　time　would　ever　come　when　he　could　dine　in　that　wonderful　room　just　once！

One　evening　he　called；　after　the　close　of　business；　upon　General　and　Mrs。　Grant；　whom　he　had　met　before；　and　who　had　expressed　a　desire　to　see　his　collection。　It　can　readily　be　imagined　what　a　red…letter　day　it　made　in　the　boy's　life　to　have　General　Grant　say：　〃It　might　be　better　for　us　all　to　go　down　to　dinner　first　and　see　the　collection　afterward。〃　Edward　had　purposely　killed　time　between　five　and　seven　o'clock；　thinking　that　the　general's　dinner…hour；　like　his　own；　was　at　six。　He　ha