the americanization of edward bok-第3章

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Thanks　to　the　linguistic　sense　inherent　in　the　Dutch；　and　to　an　educational　system　that　compels　the　study　of　languages；　English　was　already　familiar　to　the　father　and　mother。　But　to　the　two　sons；　who　had　barely　learned　the　beginnings　of　their　native　tongue；　the　English　language　was　as　a　closed　book。　It　seemed　a　cruel　decision　of　the　father　to　put　his　two　boys　into　a　public　school　in　Brooklyn；　but　he　argued　that　if　they　were　to　become　Americans；　the　sooner　they　became　part　of　the　life　of　the　country　and　learned　its　language　for　themselves；　the　better。　And　so；　without　the　ability　to　make　known　the　slightest　want　or　to　understand　a　single　word；　the　morning　after　their　removal　to　Brooklyn；　the　two　boys　were　taken　by　their　father　to　a　public　school。

The　American　public…school　teacher　was　perhaps　even　less　well　equipped　in　those　days　than　she　is　to…day　to　meet　the　needs　of　two　Dutch　boys　who　could　not　understand　a　word　she　said；　and　who　could　only　wonder　what　it　was　all　about。　The　brothers　did　not　even　have　the　comfort　of　each　other's　company；　for；　graded　by　age；　they　were　placed　in　separate　classes。

Nor　was　the　American　boy　of　1870　a　whit　less　cruel　than　is　the　American　boy　of　1920；　and　he　was　none　the　less　loath　to　show　that　cruelty。　This　trait　was　evident　at　the　first　recess　of　the　first　day　at　school。　At　the　dismissal；　the　brothers　naturally　sought　each　other；　only　to　find　themselves　surrounded　by　a　group　of　tormentors　who　were　delighted　to　have　such　promising　objects　for　their　fun。　And　of　this　opportunity　they　made　the　most。　There　was　no　form　of　petty　cruelty　boys'　minds　could　devise　that　was　not　inflicted　upon　the　two　helpless　strangers。　Edward　seemed　to　look　particularly　inviting；　and　nicknaming　him　〃Dutchy〃　they　devoted　themselves　at　each　noon　recess　and　after　school　to　inflicting　their　cruelties　upon　him。

Louis　XIV　may　have　been　right　when　he　said　that　〃every　new　language　requires　a　new　soul；〃　but　Edward　Bok　knew　that　while　spoken　languages　might　differ；　there　is　one　language　understood　by　boys　the　world　over。　And　with　this　language　Edward　decided　to　do　some　experimenting。　After　a　few　days　at　school；　he　cast　his　eyes　over　the　group　of　his　tormentors；　picked　out　one　who　seemed　to　him　the　ringleader；　and　before　the　boy　was　aware　of　what　had　happened；　Edward　Bok　was　in　the　full　swing　of　his　first　real　experiment　with　Americanization。　Of　course　the　American　boy　retaliated。　But　the　boy　from　the　Netherlands　had　not　been　born　and　brought　up　in　the　muscle…building　air　of　the　Dutch　dikes　for　nothing；　and　after　a　few　moments　he　found　himself　looking　down　on　his　tormentor　and　into　the　eyes　of　a　crowd　of　very　respectful　boys　and　giggling　girls　who　readily　made　a　passageway　for　his　brother　and　himself　when　they　indicated　a　desire　to　leave　the　schoolyard　and　go　home。

Edward　now　felt　that　his　Americanization　had　begun；　but；　always　believing　that　a　thing　begun　must　be　carried　to　a　finish；　he　took；　or　gaveit　depends　upon　the　point　of　viewtwo　or　three　more　lessons　in　this　particular　phase　of　Americanization　before　he　convinced　these　American　schoolboys　that　it　might　be　best　for　them　to　call　a　halt　upon　further　excursions　in　torment。

At　the　best；　they　were　difficult　days　at　school　for　a　boy　of　six　without　the　language。　But　the　national　linguistic　gift　inherent　in　the　Dutch　race　came　to　the　boy's　rescue；　and　as　the　roots　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　lie　in　the　Frisian　tongue；　and　thus　in　the　language　of　his　native　country；　Edward　soon　found　that　with　a　change　of　vowel　here　and　there　the　English　language　was　not　so　difficult　of　conquest。　At　all　events；　he　set　out　to　master　it。

But　his　fatal　gift　of　editing；　although　its　possession　was　unknown　to　him；　began　to　assert　itself　when；　just　as　he　seemed　to　be　getting　along　fairly　well；　he　balked　at　following　the　Spencerian　style　of　writing　in　his　copybooks。　Instinctively　he　rebelled　at　the　flourishes　which　embellished　that　form　of　handwriting。　He　seemed　to　divine　somehow　that　such　penmanship　could　not　be　useful　or　practicable　for　after　life；　and　so；　with　that　Dutch　stolidity　that；　once　fixed；　knows　no　altering；　he　refused　to　copy　his　writing　lessons。　Of　course　trouble　immediately　ensued　between　Edward　and　his　teacher。　Finding　herself　against　a　literal　blank　wallfor　Edward　simply　refused；　but　had　not　the　gift　of　English　with　which　to　explain　his　refusalthe　teacher　decided　to　take　the　matter　to　the　male　principal　of　the　school。　She　explained　that　she　had　kept　Edward　after　school　for　as　long　as　two　hours　to　compel　him　to　copy　his　Spencerian　lesson；　but　that　the　boy　simply　sat　quiet。　He　was　perfectly　well…behaved；　she　explained；　but　as　to　his　lesson；　he　would　attempt　absolutely　nothing。

It　was　the　prevailing　custom　in　the　public　schools　of　1870　to　punish　boys　by　making　them　hold　out　the　palms　of　their　hands；　upon　which　the　principal　would　inflict　blows　with　a　rattan。　The　first　time　Edward　was　punished　in　this　way；　his　hand　became　so　swollen　he　wondered　at　a　system　of　punishment　which　rendered　him　incapable　of　writing；　particularly　as　the　discerning　principal　had　chosen　the　boy's　right　hand　upon　which　to　rain　the　blows。　Edward　was　told　to　sit　down　at　the　principal's　own　desk　and　copy　the　lesson。　He　sat；　but　he　did　not　write。　He　would　not　for　one　thing；　and　he　could　not　if　he　would。　After　half　an　hour　of　purposeless　sitting；　the　principal　ordered　Edward　again　to　stand　up　and　hold　out　his　hand；　and　once　more　the　rattan　fell　in　repeated　blows。　Of　course　it　did　no　good；　and　as　it　was　then　five　o'clock；　and　the　principal　had　inflicted　all　the　punishment　that　the　law　allowed；　and　as　he　probably　wanted　to　go　home　as　much　as　Edward　did；　he　dismissed　the　sore…handed　but　more…than…ever…determined　Dutch　boy。

Edward　went　home　to　his　father；　exhibited　his　swollen　hand；　explained　the　reason；　and　showed　the　penmanship　lesson　which　he　had　refused　to　copy。　It　is　a　singular　fact　that　even　at　that　age　he　already　understood　Americanization　enough　to　realize　that　to　cope　successfully　with　any　American　institution；　one　must　be　constructive　as　well　as　destructive。　He　went　to　his　room；　brought　out　a　specimen　of　Italian　handwriting　which　he　had　seen　in　a　newspaper；　and　explained　to　his　father　that　this　simpler　penmanship　seemed　to　him　better　for　practical　purposes　than　the　curlicue　fancifully　embroidered　Spencerian　style；　that　if　he　had　to　learn　penmanship；　why　not　learn　the　system　that　was　of　more　possible　use　in　after　life？

Now；　your　Dutchman　is　nothing　if　not　practical。　He　is　very　simple　and　direct　in　his　nature；　and　is　very　likely　to　be　equally　so　in　his　mental　view。　Edward's　father　was　distinctly　interestedvery　much　amused；　as　he　confessed　to　the　boy　in　later　yearsin　his　son's　discernment　of　the　futility　of　the　Spencerian　style　of　penmanship。　He　agreed　with　the　boy；　and；　next　morning；　accompanied　him　to　school　and　to　the　principal。　The　two　men　were　closeted　together；　and　when　they　came　out　Edward　was　sent　to　his　classroom。　For　some　weeks　he　was　given　no　penmanship　lessons；　and　then　a　new　copy…book　was　given　him　with　a　much　simpler　style。　He　pounced　upon　it；　and　within　a　short　time　stood　at　the　head　of　his　class　in　writing。

The　same　instinct　that　was　so　often　to　lead　Edward　aright　in　his　future　life；　at　its　very　beginning　served　him　in　a　singularly　valuable　way　in　directing　his　attention　to　the　study　of　penmanship；　for　it　was　through　his　legible　handwriting　that　later；　in　the　absence　of　the　typewriter；　he　was　able　to　secure　and　satisfactorily　fill　three　positions　which　were　to　lead　to　his　final　success。

Years　afterward　Edward　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　public…school　pupils　given　a　choice　of　penmanship　lessons：　one　along　the　flourish　lines　and　the　other　of　a　less　ornate　order。　Of　course；　the　boy　never　associated　the　incident　of　his　refusal　with　the　change　until　later　when　his　mother　explained　to　him　that　the　principal　of　the　school；　of　whom　the　father　had　made　a　warm　friend；　was　so　impressed　by　the　boy's　simple　but　correct　view；　that　he　took　up　the　matter　with　the　board　of　education；　and　a　choice　of　systems　was　considered　and　later　decided　upon。

From　this　it　will　be　seen　that；　unconsciously；　Edward　Bok　had　started　upon　his　career　of　editing！



II。　The　First　Job：　Fifty　Cents　a　Week

The　Elder　Bok　d