the americanization of edward bok- 第62部分

Absolute　stillness　reigned　in　the　room　save　for　the　half…suppressed　sob　from　the　nurse　and　the　distant　booming　of　the　cannon。　As　Bok　finished；　he　heard　the　boy　at　his　right　say　slowly：　〃Saviour…meet…me…on…my…way〃：　with　a　little　emphasis　on　the　word　〃my。〃　The　hand　in　his　relaxed　slowly；　and　then　fell　on　the　cot；　and　he　saw　that　the　soul　of　another　brave　American　boy　had　〃gone　West。〃

Bok　glanced　at　the　other　boy；　reached　for　his　hand；　shook　it；　and　looking　deep　into　his　eyes；　he　left　the　little　hut。

He　little　knew　where　and　how　he　was　to　look　into　those　eyes　again！

Feeling　the　need　of　air　in　order　to　get　hold　of　himself　after　one　of　the　most　solemn　moments　of　his　visit　to　the　front；　Bok　strolled　out；　and　soon　found　himself　on　what　only　a　few　days　before　had　been　a　field　of　carnage　where　the　American　boys　had　driven　back　the　Germans。　Walking　in　the　trenches　and　looking　out；　in　the　clear　moonlight；　over　the　field　of　desolation　and　ruin；　and　thinking　of　the　inferno　that　had　been　enacted　there　only　so　recently；　he　suddenly　felt　his　foot　rest　on　what　seemed　to　be　a　soft　object。　Taking　his　〃ever…ready〃　flash　from　his　pocket；　he　shot　a　ray　at　his　feet；　only　to　realize　that　his　foot　was　resting　on　the　face　of　a　dead　German！

Bok　had　had　enough　for　one　evening！　In　fact；　he　had　had　enough　of　war　in　all　its　aspects；　and　he　felt　a　sigh　of　relief　when；　a　few　days　thereafter；　he　boarded　The　Empress　of　Asia　for　home；　after　a　ten…weeks　absence。

He　hoped　never　again　to　see；　at　first　hand；　what　war　meant！



XXXVI。　The　End　of　Thirty　Years'　Editorship

On　the　voyage　home；　Edward　Bok　decided　that；　now　the　war　was　over；　he　would　ask　his　company　to　release　him　from　the　editorship　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　His　original　plan　had　been　to　retire　at　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　a　century　of　editorship；　when　in　his　fiftieth　year。　He　was；　therefore；　six　years　behind　his　schedule。　In　October；　1919；　he　would　reach　his　thirtieth　anniversary　as　editor；　and　he　fixed　upon　this　as　an　appropriate　time　for　the　relinquishment　of　his　duties。

He　felt　he　had　carried　out　the　conditions　under　which　the　editorship　of　the　magazine　had　been　transferred　to　him　by　Mrs。　Curtis；　that　he　had　brought　them　to　fruition；　and　that　any　further　carrying　on　of　the　periodical　by　him　would　be　of　a　supplementary　character。　He　had；　too；　realized　his　hope　of　helping　to　create　a　national　institution　of　service　to　the　American　woman；　and　he　felt　that　his　part　in　the　work　was　done。

He　considered　carefully　where　he　would　leave　an　institution　which　the　public　had　so　thoroughly　associated　with　his　personality；　and　he　felt　that　at　no　point　in　its　history　could　he　so　safely　transfer　it　to　other　hands。　The　position　of　the　magazine　in　the　public　estimation　was　unquestioned；　it　had　never　been　so　strong。　Its　circulation　not　only　had　outstripped　that　of　any　other　monthly　periodical；　but　it　was　still　growing　so　rapidly　that　it　was　only　a　question　of　a　few　months　when　it　would　reach　the　almost　incredible　mark　of　two　million　copies　per　month。　With　its　advertising　patronage　exceeding　that　of　any　other　monthly；　the　periodical　had　become；　probably；　the　most　valuable　and　profitable　piece　of　magazine　property　in　the　world。

The　time　might　never　come　again　when　all　conditions　would　be　equally　favorable　to　a　change　of　editorship。　The　position　of　the　magazine　was　so　thoroughly　assured　that　its　progress　could　hardly　be　affected　by　the　retirement　of　one　editor；　and　the　accession　of　another。　There　was　a　competent　editorial　staff；　the　members　of　which　had　been　with　the　periodical　from　ten　to　thirty　years　each。　This　staff　had　been　a　very　large　factor　in　the　success　of　the　magazine。　While　Bok　had　furnished　the　initiative　and　supplied　the　directing　power；　a　large　part　of　the　editorial　success　of　the　magazine　was　due　to　the　staff。　It　could　carry　on　the　magazine　without　his　guidance。

Moreover；　Bok　wished　to　say　good…bye　to　his　public　before　it　decided；　for　some　reason　or　other；　to　say　good…bye　to　him。　He　had　no　desire　to　outstay　his　welcome。　That　public　had　been　wonderfully　indulgent　toward　his　shortcomings；　lenient　with　his　errors；　and　tremendously　inspiring　to　his　best　endeavor。　He　would　not　ask　too　much　of　it。　Thirty　years　was　a　long　tenure　of　office；　one　of　the　longest；　in　point　of　consecutively　active　editorship；　in　the　history　of　American　magazines。

He　had　helped　to　create　and　to　put　into　the　life　of　the　American　home　a　magazine　of　peculiar　distinction。　From　its　beginning　it　had　been　unlike　any　other　periodical；　it　had　always　retained　its　individuality　as　a　magazine　apart　from　the　others。　It　had　sought　to　be　something　more　than　a　mere　assemblage　of　stories　and　articles。　It　had　consistently　stood　for　ideals；　and；　save　in　one　or　two　instances；　it　had　carried　through　what　it　undertook　to　achieve。　It　had　a　record　of　worthy　accomplishment；　a　more　fruitful　record　than　many　imagined。　It　had　become　a　national　institution　such　as　no　other　magazine　had　ever　been。　It　was　indisputably　accepted　by　the　public　and　by　business　interests　alike　as　the　recognized　avenue　of　approach　to　the　intelligent　homes　of　America。

Edward　Bok　was　content　to　leave　it　at　this　point。

He　explained　all　this　in　December；　1918；　to　the　Board　of　Directors；　and　asked　that　his　resignation　be　considered。　It　was　understood　that　he　was　to　serve　out　his　thirty　years；　thus　remaining　with　the　magazine　for　the　best　part　of　another　year。

In　the　material　which　The　Journal　now　included　in　its　contents；　it　began　to　point　the　way　to　the　problems　which　would　face　women　during　the　reconstruction　period。　Bok　scanned　the　rather　crowded　field　of　thought　very　carefully；　and　selected　for　discussion　in　the　magazine　such　questions　as　seemed　to　him　most　important　for　the　public　to　understand　in　order　to　face　and　solve　its　impending　problems。　The　outstanding　question　he　saw　which　would　immediately　face　men　and　women　of　the　country　was　the　problem　of　Americanization。　The　war　and　its　after…effects　had　clearly　demonstrated　this　to　be　the　most　vital　need　in　the　life　of　the　nation；　not　only　for　the　foreign…born　but　for　the　American　as　well。

The　more　one　studied　the　problem　the　clearer　it　became　that　the　vast　majority　of　American…born　needed　a　refreshing；　and；　in　many　cases；　a　new　conception　of　American　ideals　as　much　as　did　the　foreign…born；　and　that　the　latter　could　never　be　taught　what　America　and　its　institutions　stood　for　until　they　were　more　clearly　defined　in　the　mind　of　the　men　and　women　of　American　birth。

Bok　went　to　Washington；　consulted　with　Franklin　K。　Lane；　secretary　of　the　interior；　of　whose　department　the　Government　Bureau　of　Americanization　was　a　part。　A　comprehensive　series　of　articles　was　outlined；　the　most　expert　writer；　Esther　Everett　Lape；　who　had　several　years　of　actual　experience　in　Americanization　work；　was　selected；　Secretary　Lane　agreed　personally　to　read　and　pass　upon　the　material；　and　to　assume　the　responsibility　for　its　publication。

With　the　full　and　direct　co…operation　of　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Americanization；　the　material　was　assembled　and　worked　up　with　the　result　that；　in　the　opinion　of　the　director　of　the　Federal　Bureau；　the　series　proved　to　be　the　most　comprehensive　exposition　of　practical　Americanization　adapted　to　city；　town；　and　village；　thus　far　published。

The　work　on　this　series　was　one　of　the　last　acts　of　Edward　Bok's　editorship；　and　it　was　peculiarly　gratifying　to　him　that　his　editorial　work　should　end　with　the　exposition　of　that　Americanization　of　which　he　himself　was　a　product。　It　seemed　a　fitting　close　to　the　career　of　a　foreign…born　Americanized　editor。

The　scope　of　the　reconstruction　articles　now　published；　and　the　clarity　of　vision　shown　in　the　selection　of　the　subjects；　gave　a　fresh　impetus　to　the　circulation　of　the　magazine；　and　now　that　the　government's　embargo　on　the　use　of　paper　had　been　removed；　the　full　editions　of　the　periodical　could　again　be　printed。　The　public　responded　instantly。

The　result　reached　phenomenal　figures。　The　last　number　under　Bok's　full　editorial　control　was　the　issue　of　October；　1919。　This　number　was　oversold　with　a　printed　edition　of　two　million　copiesa　record　never　before　achieved　by　any　magazine。　This　same　issue　presented　another　record　unattained　in　any　single　number　of　any　periodical　in　the　world。　It　carried　between　its　covers　the　amazing　total　of　over　one　million　dollars　in　advertisements。

This　was　the　psychological　point　at　which　to　stop。　And　Edward　Bok　did。　Although　his　official　relation　as　editor　did　not　terminate　until　January；　1920；　when　the　number　which　contained　his　valedictory　editorial　was　issued；　his　actual　editorship　ceased　on　September　22；　1919。　On　that　day　he　handed　over　the　reins　to　his　successor。

As　Bok　was；　on　that　day；　about　to　leave　his　desk　for　the　last　time；　it　was　announced　that　a　young　soldier　whom　he　〃had　met　and　befriended　in　France〃　was　waiting　to　see　him。　When　the　soldier　walked　into　the　office　he　was　to　Bok　only　one　of　the　many　whom　he　had　met　on　the　other　side。　But　as　the　boy　shook　hands　with　him　and　said：　〃I　guess　you　do　not　remember　me；　Mr。　Bok；〃　there　was　something　in　the　eyes　into　which　he　looked　that　startled　him。　And　then；　in　a　flash；　the　circumstances　under　which　he　had　last　seen　those　eyes　came　to　him。

〃Good　heavens；　my　boy；　you　are　not　one　of　those　two　boys　in　the　little　hut　that　I〃

〃To　whom　you　read　the　poem　'Passing　Souls；'　that　evening。　Yes；　sir；　I'm　the　boy　who　had　hold　of　your　left　hand。　My　bunkie；　Ben；　went　West　that　same　evening；　you　remember。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　editor；　〃I　remember；　I　remember　only　too　well；〃　and　again　Bok　felt　the　hand　in　his　relax；　drop　from　his　own；　and　heard　the　words：　〃Saviour…meet…me…on…my　way。〃

The　boy's　voice　brought　Bok　back　to　the　moment。

〃It's　wonderful　you　should　remember　me；　my　face　was　all　bound　upI　guess　you　couldn't　see　anything　but　my　eyes。〃

〃Just　the　eyes；　that's　right；〃　said　Bok。　〃But　they　burned　into　me　all　right；　my　boy。〃

〃I　don't　think　I　get　you；　sir；〃　said　the　boy。

〃No；　you　wouldn't；〃　Bok　replied。　〃You　couldn't；　boy；　not　until　you're　older。　But；　tell　me；　how　in　the　world　did　you　ever　get　out　of　it？〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　answered　the　boy；　with　that　shyness　which　we　all　have　come　to　know　in　the　boys　who　actually　did；　〃I　guess　it　was　a　close　call；　all　right。　But