the americanization of edward bok-第20章

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〃I　don't　think　I　understand　you；〃　was　the　reply。

〃No；　I　don't　think　you　do；〃　he　said。　〃I　mean；　you　will　some　day　hear　about　that　suit。　And　I　don't　know；〃　then　he　hesitated；　〃butbut　you　might　as　well　get　it　straight。　You　say　you　were　twelve　then；〃　he　mused。　〃What　were　you　doing　when　you　were　twelve？〃

〃Going　to　school；〃　was　the　reply。

〃Yes；　of　course；〃　said　Mr。　Beecher。　〃Well；〃　he　continued；　turning　on　his　haunches　so　that　his　back　rested　against　the　box；　〃I　am　going　to　tell　you　the　story　of　that　suit；　and　then　you'll　know　it。〃

Edward　said　nothing；　and　then　began　the　recital　of　a　story　that　he　was　destined　to　remember。　It　was　interesting　then；　as　Mr。　Beecher　progressed；　but　how　thrice　interesting　that　wonderful　recital　was　to　prove　as　the　years　rolled　by　and　the　boy　realized　the　wonderful　telling　of　that　of　all　stories　by　Mr。　Beecher　himself！

Slowly；　and　in　that　wonderfully　low；　mellow　voice　that　so　many　knew　and　loved；　step　by　step；　came　the　unfolding　of　that　remarkable　story。　Once　or　twice　only　did　the　voice　halt；　as　when；　after　he　had　explained　the　basis　of　the　famous　suit；　he　said：

〃Those　were　the　charges。　That　is　what　it　was　all　about。〃

Then　he　looked　at　Edward　and　asked：　〃Do　you　know　just　what　such　charges　mean？〃

〃I　think　I　do；〃　Edward　replied；　and　the　question　was　asked　with　such　feeling；　and　the　answer　was　said　so　mechanically；　that　Mr。　Beecher　replied　simply：　〃Perhaps。〃

〃Well；〃　he　continued；　〃the　suit　was　a　'long　one；'　as　you　said。　For　days　and　weeks；　yes；　for　months；　it　went　on；　from　January　to　July；　and　those　were　very　full　days：　full　of　so　many　things　that　you　would　hardly　understand。〃

And　then　he　told　the　boy　as　much　of　the　days　in　court　as　he　thought　he　would　understand；　and　how　the　lawyers　worked　and　worked；　in　court　all　day；　and　up　half　the　night；　preparing　for　the　next　day。　〃Mostly　around　that　little　table　there；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　a　white；　marble…topped　table　against　which　the　boy　was　leaning；　and　which　now　stands　in　Edward　Bok's　study。

〃Finally　the　end　came；〃　he　said；　〃afterwell；　months。　To　some　it　seemed　years；〃　said　Mr。　Beecher；　and　his　eyes　looked　tired。

〃Well；〃　he　continued；　〃the　case　went　to　the　jury：　the　men；　you　know；　who　had　to　decide。　There　were　twelve　of　them。〃

〃Was　it　necessary　that　all　twelve　should　think　alike？〃　asked　the　boy。

〃That　was　what　was　hoped；　my　boy；〃　said　Mr。　Beecher〃that　was　what　was　hoped；〃　he　repeated。

〃Well；　they　did；　didn't　they？〃　Edward　asked；　as　Mr。　Beecher　stopped。

〃Nine　did；〃　he　replied。　〃Yes；　nine　did。　But　three　didn't。　Three　thought〃　Mr。　Beecher　stopped　and　did　not　finish　the　sentence。　〃But　nine　did；〃　he　repeated。　〃Nine　to　three　it　stood。　That　was　the　decision；　and　then　the　judge　discharged　the　jury；〃　he　said。

There　was　naturally　one　question　in　the　boyish　mind　to　ask　the　man　before　himone　question！　Yet；　instinctively；　something　within　him　made　him　hesitate　to　ask　that　question。　But　at　last　his　curiosity　got　the　better　of　the　still；　small　voice　of　judgment。

〃And；　Mr。　Beecher〃　the　boy　began。

But　Mr。　Beecher　knew！　He　knew　what　was　at　the　end　of　the　tongue；　looked　clear　into　the　boy's　mind；　and　Edward　can　still　see　him　lift　that　fine　head　and　look　into　his　eyes；　as　he　said；　slowly　and　clearly：

〃And　the　decision　of　the　nine　was　in　exact　accord　with　the　facts。〃

He　had　divined　the　question！

As　the　two　rose　from　the　floor　that　night　Edward　looked　at　the　clock。　It　was　past　midnight；　Mr。　Beecher　had　talked　for　two　hours；　the　boy　had　spoken　hardly　at　all。

As　the　boy　was　going　out；　he　turned　to　Mr。　Beecher　sitting　thoughtfully　in　his　chair。

〃Good　night；　Mr。　Beecher；〃　he　said。

The　Plymouth　pastor　pulled　himself　together；　and　with　that　wit　that　never　forsook　him　he　looked　at　the　clock；　smiled；　and　answered：　〃Good　morning；　I　should　say。　God　bless　you；　my　boy。〃　Then　rising；　he　put　his　arm　around　the　boy's　shoulders　and　walked　with　him　to　the　door。



X。　The　First　〃Woman's　Page；〃　〃Literary　Leaves；〃　and　Entering　Scribner's

Mr。　Beecher's　weekly　newspaper　〃syndicate〃　letter　was　not　only　successful　in　itself；　it　made　liberal　money　for　the　writer　and　for　its　two　young　publishers；　but　it　served　to　introduce　Edward　Bok's　proposed　agency　to　the　newspapers　under　the　most　favorable　conditions。　With　one　stroke；　the　attention　of　newspaper　editors　had　been　attracted；　and　Edward　concluded　to　take　quick　advantage　of　it。　He　organized　the　Bok　Syndicate　Press；　with　offices　in　New　York；　and　his　brother；　William　J。　Bok；　as　partner　and　active　manager。　Edward's　days　were　occupied；　of　course；　with　his　duties　in　the　Holt　publishing　house；　where　he　was　acquiring　a　first…hand　knowledge　of　the　business。

Edward's　attention　was　now　turned；　for　the　first　time；　to　women　and　their　reading　habits。　He　became　interested　in　the　fact　that　the　American　woman　was　not　a　newspaper　reader。　He　tried　to　find　out　the　psychology　of　this；　and　finally　reached　the　conclusion；　on　looking　over　the　newspapers；　that　the　absence　of　any　distinctive　material　for　women　was　a　factor。　He　talked　the　matter　over　with　several　prominent　New　York　editors；　who　frankly　acknowledged　that　they　would　like　nothing　better　than　to　interest　women；　and　make　them　readers　of　their　papers。　But　they　were　equally　frank　in　confessing　that　they　were　ignorant　both　of　what　women　wanted；　and；　even　if　they　knew；　of　where　such　material　was　to　be　had。　Edward　at　once　saw　that　here　was　an　open　field。　It　was　a　productive　field；　since；　as　woman　was　the　purchasing　power；　it　would　benefit　the　newspaper　enormously　in　its　advertising　if　it　could　offer　a　feminine　clientele。

There　was　a　bright　letter　of　New　York　gossip　published　in　the　New　York　Star；　called　〃Bab's　Babble。〃　Edward　had　read　it；　and　saw　the　possibility　of　syndicating　this　item　as　a　woman's　letter　from　New　York。　He　instinctively　realized　that　women　all　over　the　country　would　read　it。　He　sought　out　the　author；　made　arrangements　with　her　and　with　former　Governor　Dorscheimer；　owner　of　the　paper；　and　the　letter　was　sent　out　to　a　group　of　papers。　It　was　an　instantaneous　success；　and　a　syndicate　of　ninety　newspapers　was　quickly　organized。

Edward　followed　this　up　by　engaging　Ella　Wheeler　Wilcox；　then　at　the　height　of　her　career；　to　write　a　weekly　letter　on　women's　topics。　This　he　syndicated　in　conjunction　with　the　other　letter；　and　the　editors　invariably　grouped　the　two　letters。　This；　in　turn；　naturally　led　to　the　idea　of　supplying　an　entire　page　of　matter　of　interest　to　women。　The　plan　was　proposed　to　a　number　of　editors；　who　at　once　saw　the　possibilities　in　it　and　promised　support。　The　young　syndicator　now　laid　under　contribution　all　the　famous　women　writers　of　the　day；　he　chose　the　best　of　the　men　writers　to　write　on　women's　topics；　and　it　was　not　long　before　the　syndicate　was　supplying　a　page　of　women's　material。　The　newspapers　played　up　the　innovation；　and　thus　was　introduced　into　the　newspaper　press　of　the　United　States　the　〃Woman's　Page。〃

The　material　supplied　by　the　Bok　Syndicate　Press　was　of　the　best；　the　standard　was　kept　high；　the　writers　were　selected　from　among　the　most　popular　authors　of　the　day；　and　readability　was　the　cardinal　note。　The　women　bought　the　newspapers　containing　the　new　page；　the　advertiser　began　to　feel　the　presence　of　the　new　reader；　and　every　newspaper　that　could　not　get　the　rights　for　the　〃Bok　Page；〃　as　it　came　to　be　known；　started　a　〃Woman's　Page〃　of　it　own。　Naturally；　the　material　so　obtained　was　of　an　inferior　character。　No　single　newspaper　could　afford　what　the　syndicate；　with　the　expense　divided　among　a　hundred　newspapers；　could　pay。　Nor　had　the　editors　of　these　woman's　pages　either　a　standard　or　a　policy。　In　desperation　they　engaged　any　person　they　could　to　〃get　a　lot　of　woman's　stuff。〃　It　was　stuff；　and　of　the　trashiest　kind。　So　that　almost　coincident　with　the　birth　of　the　idea　began　its　abuse　and　disintegration；　the　result　we　see　in　the　meaningless　presentations　which　pass　for　〃woman's　pages〃　in　the　newspaper　of　to…day。

This　is　true　even　of　the　woman's　material　in　the　leading　newspapers；　and　the　reason　is　not　difficult　to　find。　The　average　editor　has；　as　a　rule；　no　time　to　study　the　changing　conditions　of　women's　interests；　his　time　is　and　must　be　engrossed　by　the　news　and　editorial　pages。　He　usual