the americanization of edward bok-第24章

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se；　〃slammed　off。〃　Every　moment　beyond　five　o'clock　in　which　the　worker　was　asked　to　do　anything　was　by　just　so　much　an　imposition　on　the　part　of　the　employer；　and　so　far　as　it　could　be　safely　shown；　this　impression　was　gotten　over　to　him。

There　was　an　entire　unwillingness　to　let　business　interfere　with　any　anticipated　pleasure　or　personal　engagement。　The　office　was　all　right　between　nine　and　five；　one　had　to　be　there　to　earn　a　living；　but　after　five；　it　was　not　to　be　thought　of　for　one　moment。　The　elevators　which　ran　on　the　stroke　of　five　were　never　large　enough　to　hold　the　throng　which　besieged　them。

The　talk　during　lunch　hour　rarely；　if　ever；　turned　toward　business；　except　as　said　before；　when　it　dealt　with　underpaid　services。　In　the　spring　and　summer　it　was　invariably　of　baseball；　and　scores　of　young　men　knew　the　batting　averages　of　the　different　players　and　the　standing　of　the　clubs　with　far　greater　accuracy　than　they　knew　the　standing　or　the　discounts　of　the　customers　of　their　employers。　In　the　winter　the　talk　was　all　of　dancing；　boxing；　or　plays。

It　soon　became　evident　to　Bok　why　scarcely　five　out　of　every　hundred　of　the　young　men　whom　he　knew　made　any　business　progress。　They　were　not　interested；　it　was　a　case　of　a　day's　work　and　a　day's　pay；　it　was　not　a　question　of　how　much　one　could　do　but　how　little　one　could　get　away　with。　The　thought　of　how　well　one　might　do　a　given　thing　never　seemed　to　occur　to　the　average　mind。

〃Oh；　what　do　you　care？〃　was　the　favorite　expression。　〃The　boss　won't　notice　it　if　you　break　your　back　over　his　work；　you　won't　get　any　more　pay。〃

And　there　the　subject　was　dismissed；　and　thoroughly　dismissed；　too。

Eventually；　then；　Bok　learned　that　the　path　that　led　to　success　was　wide　open：　the　competition　was　negligible。　There　was　no　jostling。　In　fact；　travel　on　it　was　just　a　trifle　lonely。　One's　fellow…travellers　were　excellent　company；　but　they　were　few！　It　was　one　of　Edward　Bok's　greatest　surprises；　but　it　was　also　one　of　his　greatest　stimulants。　To　go　where　others　could　not　go；　or　were　loath　to　go；　where　at　least　they　were　not；　had　a　tang　that　savored　of　the　freshest　kind　of　adventure。　And　the　way　was　so　simple；　so　much　simpler；　in　fact；　than　its　avoidance；　which　called　for　so　much　argument；　explanation；　and　discussion。　One　had　merely　to　do　all　that　one　could　do；　a　little　more　than　one　was　asked　or　expected　to　do；　and　immediately　one's　head　rose　above　the　crowd　and　one　was　in　an　employer's　eyewhere　it　is　always　so　satisfying　for　an　employee　to　be！　And　as　so　few　heads　lifted　themselves　above　the　many；　there　was　never　any　danger　that　they　would　not　be　seen。

Of　course；　Edward　Bok　had　to　prove　to　himself　that　his　conception　of　conditions　was　right。　He　felt　instinctively　that　it　was；　however；　and　with　this　stimulus　he　bucked　the　line　hard。　When　others　played；　he　worked；　fully　convinced　that　his　play…time　would　come　later。　Where　others　shirked；　he　assumed。　Where　others　lagged；　he　accelerated　his　pace。　Where　others　were　indifferent　to　things　around　them；　he　observed　and　put　away　the　results　for　possible　use　later。　He　did　not　make　of　himself　a　pack…horse；　what　he　undertook　he　did　from　interest　in　it；　and　that　made　it　a　pleasure　to　him　when　to　others　it　was　a　burden。　He　instinctively　reasoned　it　out　that　an　unpleasant　task　is　never　accomplished　by　stepping　aside　from　it；　but　that；　unerringly；　it　will　return　later　to　be　met　and　done。

Obstacles；　to　Edward　Bok；　soon　became　merely　difficulties　to　be　overcome；　and　he　trusted　to　his　instinct　to　show　him　the　best　way　to　overcome　them。　He　soon　learned　that　the　hardest　kind　of　work　was　back　of　every　success；　that　nothing　in　the　world　of　business　just　happened；　but　that　everything　was　brought　about；　and　only　in　one　wayby　a　willingness　of　spirit　and　a　determination　to　carry　through。　He　soon　exploded　for　himself　the　misleading　and　comfortable　theory　of　luck：　the　only　lucky　people；　he　found；　were　those　who　worked　hard。　To　them；　luck　came　in　the　shape　of　what　they　had　earned。　There　were　exceptions　here　and　there；　as　there　are　to　every　rule；　but　the　majority　of　these；　he　soon　found；　were　more　in　the　seeming　than　in　the　reality。　Generally　speakingand　of　course　to　this　rule　there　are　likewise　exceptions；　or　as　the　Frenchman　said；　〃All　generalizations　are　false；　including　this　one〃a　man　got　in　this　world　about　what　he　worked　for。

And　that　became；　for　himself；　the　rule　of　Edward　Bok's　life。



XII。　Baptism　Under　Fire

The　personnel　of　the　Scribner　house　was　very　youthful　from　the　members　of　the　firm　clear　down　the　line。　It　was　veritably　a　house　of　young　men。

The　story　is　told　of　a　Boston　publisher；　sedate　and　fairly　elderly；　who　came　to　the　Scribner　house　to　transact　business　with　several　of　its　departments。　One　of　his　errands　concerning　itself　with　advertising；　he　was　introduced　to　Bok；　who　was　then　twenty…four。　Looking　the　youth　over；　he　transacted　his　business　as　well　as　he　felt　it　could　be　transacted　with　a　manager　of　such　tender　years；　and　then　sought　the　head　of　the　educational　department：　this　brought　him　to　another　young　man　of　twenty…four。

With　his　yearnings　for　some　one　more　advanced　in　years　full　upon　him；　the　visitor　now　inquired　for　the　business　manager　of　the　new　magazine；　only　to　find　a　man　of　twenty…six。　His　next　introduction　was　to　the　head　of　the　out…of…town　business　department；　who　was　twenty…seven。

At　this　point　the　Boston　man　asked　to　see　Mr。　Scribner。　This　disclosed　to　him　Mr。　Arthur　H。　Scribner；　the　junior　partner；　who　owned　to　twenty…eight　summers。　Mustering　courage　to　ask　faintly　for　Mr。　Charles　Scribner　himself；　he　finally　brought　up　in　that　gentleman's　office　only　to　meet　a　man　just　turning　thirty…three！

〃This　is　a　young…looking　crowd；〃　said　Mr。　Scribner　one　day；　looking　over　his　young　men。　And　his　eye　rested　on　Bok。　〃Particularly　you；　Bok。　Doubleday　looks　his　years　better　than　you　do；　for　at　least　he　has　a　moustache。〃　Then；　contemplatively：　〃You　raise　a　moustache；　Bok；　and　I'll　raise　your　salary。〃

This　appealed　to　Bok　very　strongly；　and　within　a　month　he　pointed　out　the　result　to　his　employer。　〃Stand　in　the　light　here；〃　said　Mr。　Scribner。　〃Well；　yes；〃　he　concluded　dubiously；　〃it's　theresomething　at　least。　All　right；　I'll　keep　my　part　of　the　bargain。〃

He　did。　But　the　next　day　he　was　nonplussed　to　see　that　the　moustache　had　disappeared　from　the　lip　of　his　youthful　advertising　manager。　〃Couldn't　quite　stand　it；　Mr。　Scribner；〃　was　the　explanation。　〃Besides；　you　didn't　say　I　should　keep　it：　you　merely　said　to　raise　it。〃

But　the　increase　did　not　follow　the　moustache。　To　Bok's　great　relief；　it　stuck！

This　youthful　personnel；　while　it　made　for　esprit　de　corps；　had　also　its　disadvantages。　One　day　as　Bok　was　going　out　to　lunch；　he　found　a　small…statured　man；　rather　plainly　dressed；　wandering　around　the　retail　department；　hoping　for　a　salesman　to　wait　on　him。　The　young　salesman　on　duty；　full　of　inexperience；　had　a　ready　smile　and　quick　service　ever　ready　for　〃carriage　trade；〃　as　he　called　it；　but　this　particular　customer　had　come　afoot；　and　this；　together　with　his　plainness　of　dress；　did　not　impress　the　young　salesman。　His　attention　was　called　to　the　wandering　customer；　and　it　was　suggested　that　he　find　out　what　was　wanted。　When　Bok　returned　from　lunch；　the　young　salesman；　who；　with　a　beaming　smile；　had　just　most　ceremoniously　bowed　the　plainly　dressed　little　customer　out　of　the　street…door；　said：　〃You　certainly　struck　it　rich　that　time　when　you　suggested　my　waiting　on　that　little　man！　Such　an　order！　Been　here　ever　since。　Did　you　know　who　it　was？〃

〃No；〃　returned　Bok。　〃Who　was　it？〃

〃Andrew　Carnegie；〃　beamed　the　salesman。

Another　youthful　clerk　in　the　Scribner　retail　bookstore；　unconscious　of　the　customer's　identity；　waited　one　day　on　the　wife　of　Mark　Twain。

Mrs。　Clemens　asked　the　young　salesman　for　a　copy　of　Taine's　Ancient　Regime。

〃Beg　pardon；〃　said　the　clerk；　〃what　book　did　you　say？〃

Mrs。　Clemens　repeated　the　author　and　title　of　the　book。

Going　to　the　rear　of　the　store；　the　clerk　soon　returned；　only　to　inquire：　〃May　I　ask　you　to　repeat　the　name　of　the　author？〃

〃Taine；　T…a…i…n…e；〃　replied　Mrs。　Clemens。

Then　did　the　youthfulness　of　the　salesman　assert　itself。　Assuming　an　air　of　superio