the americanization of edward bok-第28章

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or　Briggs　and　asked：　〃Doctor；　what　really　is　heresy？〃

Doctor　Briggs；　taken　off　his　guard　for　a　moment；　looked　blankly　at　his　young　questioner；　and　repeated：　〃What　is　heresy？〃

〃Yes；〃　repeated　Bok；　〃just　what　is　heresy；　Doctor？〃

〃That's　right；〃　interjected　Doctor　Patton；　with　a　twinkle　in　his　eyes；　〃what　is　heresy；　Briggs？〃

〃Would　you　be　willing　to　write　it　down　for　me？〃　asked　Bok；　fearful　that　he　should　not　remember　Doctor　Briggs's　definition　even　if　he　were　told。

And　Doctor　Briggs　wrote：

〃Heresy　is　anything　in　doctrine　or　practice　that　departs　from　the　mind　of　the　Church　as　officially　defined。

Charles　A。　Briggs。

〃Let　me　see；〃　asked　Doctor　Patton；　and　when　he　read　it；　he　muttered：　〃Humph；　pretty　broad；　pretty　broad。〃

〃Well；〃　answered　the　nettled　Doctor　Briggs；　〃perhaps　you　can　give　a　less　broad　definition；　Patton。〃

〃No；　no；〃　answered　the　Princeton　theologian；　as　the　slightest　wink　came　from　the　eye　nearest　Bok；　〃I　wouldn't　attempt　it　for　a　moment。　Too　much　for　me。〃

On　another　occasion；　as　the　two　were　busy　in　their　discussion　of　some　article　to　be　inserted　in　the　magazine；　Bok　listening　with　all　his　might；　Doctor　Patton；　suddenly　turning　to　the　young　listener；　asked；　in　the　midst　of　the　argument：　〃Whom　are　the　Giants　going　to　play　this　afternoon；　Bok？〃

Doctor　Briggs's　face　was　a　study。　For　a　moment　the　drift　of　the　question　was　an　enigma　to　him：　then　realizing　that　an　important　theological　discussion　had　been　interrupted　by　a　trivial　baseball　question；　he　gathered　up　his　papers　and　stamped　violently　out　of　the　office。　Doctor　Patton　made　no　comment；　but；　with　a　smile；　he　asked　Bok：　〃Johnnie　Ward　going　to　play　to…day；　do　you　know？　Thought　I　might　ask　Mr。　Scribner　if　you　could　go　up　to　the　game　this　afternoon。〃

It　is　unnecessary　to　say　to　which　of　the　two　men　Bok　was　the　more　attracted；　and　when　it　came；　each　quarter；　to　figuring　how　many　articles　could　go　into　the　Review　without　exceeding　the　cost　limit　fixed　by　the　house；　it　was　always　a　puzzle　to　Doctor　Briggs　why　the　majority　of　the　articles　left　out　were　invariably　those　that　he　had　brought　in；　while　many　of　those　which　Doctor　Patton　handed　in　somehow　found　their　place；　upon　the　final　assembling；　among　the　contents。

〃Your　articles　are　so　long；〃　Bok　would　explain。

〃Long？〃　Doctor　Briggs　would　echo。　〃You　don't　measure　theological　discussions　by　the　yardstick；　young　man。〃

〃Perhaps　not；〃　the　young　assembler　would　maintain。

But　we　have　to　do　some　measuring　here　by　the　composition…stick；　just　the　same。〃

And　the　Union　Seminary　theologian　was　never　able　successfully；　to　vault　that　hurdle！

From　his　boyhood　days　（up　to　the　present　writing）　Bok　was　a　pronounced　baseball　〃fan；〃　and　so　Doctor　Patton　appealed　to　a　warm　place　in　the　young　man's　heart　when　he　asked　him　the　questions　about　the　New　York　baseball　team。　There　was；　too；　a　baseball　team　among　the　Scribner　young　men　of　which　Bok　was　a　part。　This　team　played；　each　Saturday　afternoon；　a　team　from　another　publishing　house；　and　for　two　seasons　it　was　unbeatable。　Not　only　was　this　baseball　aggregation　close　to　the　hearts　of　the　Scribner　employees；　but；　in　an　important　game；　the　junior　member　of　the　firm　played　on　it　and　the　senior　member　was　a　spectator。　Frank　N。　Doubleday　played　on　first　base；　William　D。　Moffat；　later　of　Moffat；　Yard　&　Company；　and　now　editor　of　The　Mentor；　was　behind　the　bat；　Bok　pitched；　Ernest　Dressel　North；　the　present　authority　on　rare　editions　of　books；　was　in　the　field；　as　were　also　Ray　Safford；　now　a　director　in　the　Scribner　corporation；　and　Owen　W。　Brewer；　at　present　a　prominent　figure　in　Chicago's　book　world。　It　was　a　happy　group；　all　closely　banded　together　in　their　business　interests　and　in　their　human　relations　as　well。

With　Scribner's　Magazine　now　in　the　periodical　field；　Bok　would　be　asked　on　his　trips　to　the　publishing　houses　to　have　an　eye　open　for　advertisements　for　that　periodical　as　well。　Hence　his　education　in　the　solicitation　of　advertisements　became　general；　and　gave　him　a　sympathetic　understanding　of　the　problems　of　the　advertising　solicitor　which　was　to　stand　him　in　good　stead　when；　in　his　later　experience；　he　was　called　upon　to　view　the　business　problems　of　a　magazine　from　the　editor's　position。　His　knowledge　of　the　manufacture　of　the　two　magazines　in　his　charge　was　likewise　educative；　as　was　the　fascinating　study　of　typography　which　always　had；　and　has　today；　a　wonderful　attraction　for　him。

It　was；　however；　in　connection　with　the　advertising　of　the　general　books　of　the　house；　and　in　his　relations　with　their　authors；　that　Bok　found　his　greatest　interest。　It　was　for　him　to　find　the　best　manner　in　which　to　introduce　to　the　public　the　books　issued　by　the　house；　and　the　general　study　of　the　psychology　of　publicity　which　this　called　for　attracted　Bok　greatly。

Bok　was　now　asked　to　advertise　a　novel　published　by　the　Scribners　which；　when　it　was　issued；　and　for　years　afterward；　was　pointed　to　as　a　proof　of　the　notion　that　a　famous　name　was　all　that　was　necessary　to　ensure　the　acceptance　of　a　manuscript　by　even　a　leading　publishing　house。　The　facts　in　the　case　were　that　this　manuscript　was　handed　in　one　morning　by　a　friend　of　the　house　with　the　remark　that　he　submitted　it　at　the　suggestion　of　the　author；　who　did　not　desire　that　his　identity　should　be　known　until　after　the　manuscript　had　been　read　and　passed　upon　by　the　house。　It　was　explained　that　the　writer　was　not　a　famous　author；　in　fact；　he　had　never　written　anything　before；　this　was　his　first　book　of　any　sort；　he　merely　wanted　to　〃try　his　wings。〃　The　manuscript　was　read　in　due　time　by　the　Scribner　readers；　and　the　mutual　friend　was　advised　that　the　house　would　be　glad　to　publish　the　novel；　and　was　ready　to　execute　and　send　a　contract　to　the　author　if　the　firm　knew　in　whose　name　the　agreement　should　be　made。　Then　came　the　first　intimation　of　the　identity　of　the　author：　the　friend　wrote　that　if　the　publishers　would　look　in　the　right…hand　corner　of　the　first　page　of　the　manuscript　they　would　find　there　the　author's　name。　Search　finally　revealed　an　asterisk。　The　author　of　the　novel　（Valentino）　was　William　Waldorf　Astor。

Although　the　Scribners　did　not　publish　Mark　Twain's　books；　the　humorist　was　a　frequent　visitor　to　the　retail　store；　and　occasionally　he　would　wander　back　to　the　publishing　department　located　at　the　rear　of　the　store；　which　was　then　at　743　Broadway。

Smoking　was　not　permitted　in　the　Scribner　offices；　and；　of　course；　Mark　Twain　was　always　smoking。　He　generally　smoked　a　granulated　tobacco　which　he　kept　in　a　long　check　bag　made　of　silk　and　rubber。　When　he　sauntered　to　the　back　of　the　Scribner　store；　he　would　generally　knock　the　residue　from　the　bowl　of　the　pipe；　take　out　the　stem；　place　it　in　his　vest　pocket；　like　a　pencil；　and　drop　the　bowl　into　the　bag　containing　the　granulated　tobacco。　When　he　wanted　to　smoke　again　（which　was　usually　five　minutes　later）　he　would　fish　out　the　bowl；　now　automatically　filled　with　tobacco；　insert　the　stem；　and　strike　a　light。　One　afternoon　as　he　wandered　into　Bok's　office；　he　was　just　putting　his　pipe　away。　The　pipe；　of　the　corncob　variety；　was　very　aged　and　black。　Bok　asked　him　whether　it　was　the　only　pipe　he　had。

〃Oh；　no；〃　Mark　answered；　〃I　have　several。　But　they're　all　like　this。　I　never　smoke　a　new　corncob　pipe。　A　new　pipe　irritates　the　throat。　No　corncob　pipe　is　fit　for　anything　until　it　has　been　used　at　least　a　fortnight。〃

〃How　do　you　break　in　a　pipe；　then？〃　asked　Bok。

〃That's　the　trick；〃　answered　Mark　Twain。　〃I　get　a　cheap　mana　man　who　doesn't　amount　to　much；　anyhow：　who　would　be　as　well；　or　better；　deadand　pay　him　a　dollar　to　break　in　the　pipe　for　me。　I　get　him　to　smoke　the　pipe　for　a　couple　of　weeks；　then　put　in　a　new　stem；　and　continue　operations　as　long　as　the　pipe　holds　together。〃

Bok's　newspaper　syndicate　work　had　brought　him　into　contact　with　Fanny　Davenport；　then　at　the　zenith　of　her　career　as　an　actress。　Miss　Davenport；　or　Mrs。　Melbourne　McDowell　as　she　was　in　private　life；　had　never　written　for　print；　but　Bok；　seeing　that　she　had　something　to　say　about　her　art　and　the　ability　to　say　it；　induced　her　to　write　for　the　newspapers　through　his　syndicate。　The　actress　was　overjoyed　to　have　revealed　to　her　a　hitherto　unsuspect