the americanization of edward bok- 第30部分

〃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　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