the americanization of edward bok-第41章

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　I　remember　well；married　the　half　sister　of　the　mother　of　James　G。　Blaine　at　Brownsville；　Pa。；　settled　in　our　native　town　Lancaster；　Fairfield　County；　Ohio；　and　became　the　Clerk　of　the　County　Court。　He　had　two　daughters；　Maria　and　Susan。　Maria　became　the　wife　of　Thomas　Ewing；　about　1819；　and　was　the　mother　of　my　wife；　Ellen　Boyle　Ewing。　She　was　so　staunch　to　what　she　believed　the　true　Faith　that　I　am　sure　that　though　she　loved　her　children　better　than　herself；　she　would　have　seen　them　die　with　less　pang；　than　to　depart　from　the　〃Faith。〃　Mr。　Ewing　was　a　great　big　man；　an　intellectual　giant；　and　looked　down　on　religion　as　something　domestic；　something　consoling　which　ought　to　be　encouraged；　and　to　him　it　made　little　difference　whether　the　religion　was　Methodist；　Presbyterian；　Baptist；　or　Catholic；　provided　the　acts　were　'half　as　good'　as　their　professions。

〃In　1829　my　father；　a　Judge　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　Ohio；　died　at　Lebanon　away　from　home；　leaving　his　widow；　Mary　Hoyt　of　Norwalk；　Conn。　（sister　to　Charles　and　James　Hoyt　of　Brooklyn）　with　a　frame　house　in　Lancaster；　an　income　of　200　a　year　and　eleven　as　hungry；　rough；　and　uncouth　children　as　ever　existed　on　earth。　But　father　had　been　kind；　generous；　manly　with　a　big　heart；　and　when　it　ceased　to　beat　friends　turned　upOur　Uncle　Stoddard　took　Charles；　the　oldest；　W。　I。　married　the　next；　Elisabeth　（still　living）；　Amelia　was　soon　married　to　a　merchant　in　Mansfield；　McCorab；　I；　the　third　son；　was　adopted　by　Thomas　Ewing；　a　neighbor；　and　John　fell　to　his　namesake　in　Mt。　Vernon；　a　merchant。

〃Surely　'Man　proposes　and　God　disposes。'　I　could　fill　a　hundred　pages；　but　will　not　bore　you。　A　half　century　has　passed　and　you；　a　Protestant　minister；　write　me　a　kind；　affectionate　letter　about　my　Catholic　wife　from　Mansfield；　one　of　my　family　homes；　where　my　mother；　Mary　Hoyt；　died；　and　where　our　Grandmother；　Betsey　Stoddard；　lies　buried。　Oh；　what　a　flood　of　memories　come　up　at　the　name　of　Betsey　Stoddard；daughter　of　the　Revd。　Mr。　Stoddard；　who　preached　three　times　every　Sunday；　and　as　often　in　between　as　he　could　cajole　a　congregation　at　ancient　Woodbury；　Conn。；who　came　down　from　Mansfield　to　Lancaster；　three　days'　hard　journey　to　regulate　the　family　of　her　son　Judge　Sherman；　whose　gentle　wife　was　as　afraid　of　Grandma　as　any　of　us　boys。　She　never　spared　the　rod　or　broom；　but　she　had　more　square　solid　sense　to　the　yard　than　any　woman　I　ever　saw。　From　her　Charles；　John；　and　I　inherit　what　little　sense　we　possess。

〃Lancaster；　Fairfield　County；　was　our　paternal　home；　Mansfield　that　of　Grandmother　Stoddard　and　her　daughter；　Betsey　Parker。　There　Charles　and　John　settled；　and　when　in　1846　I　went　to　California　Mother　also　went　there；　and　there　died　in　1851。

〃When　a　boy；　once　a　year　I　had　to　drive　my　mother　in　an　old　'dandy　wagon'　on　her　annual　visit。　The　distance　was　75　miles；　further　than　Omaha　is　from　San　Francisco。　We　always　took　three　days　and　stopped　at　every　house　to　gossip　with　the　woman　folks；　and　dispense　medicines　and　syrups　to　the　sick；　for　in　those　days　all　had　the　chills　or　ague。　If　I　could　I　would　not　awaken　Grandmother　Betsey　Stoddard　because　she　would　be　horrified　at　the　backsliding　of　the　servants　of　Christ；but　oh！　how　I　would　like　to　take　my　mother；　Mary　Hoyt；　in　a　railroad　car　out　to　California；　to　Santa　Barbara　and　Los　Angeles；　among　the　vineyards　of　grapes；　the　groves　of　oranges；　lemons　and　pomegranates。　How　clearly　recurs　to　me　the　memory　of　her　exclamation　when　I　told　her　I　had　been　ordered　around　Cape　Horn　to　California。　Her　idea　was　about　as　definite　as　mine　or　yours　as　to；　Where　is　Stanley？　but　she　saw　me　return　with　some　nuggets　to　make　her　life　more　comfortable。

〃She　was　a　strong　Presbyterian　to　the　end；　but　she　loved　my　Ellen；　and　the　love　was　mutual。　All　my　children　have　inherited　their　mother's　faith；　and　she　would　have　given　anything　if　I　would　have　simply　said　Amen；　but　it　is　simply　impossible。

〃But　I　am　sure　that　you　know　that　the　God　who　created　the　minnow；　and　who　has　moulded　the　rose　and　carnation；　given　each　its　sweet　fragrance；　will　provide　for　those　mortal　men　who　strive　to　do　right　in　the　world　which　he　himself　has　stocked　with　birds；　animals；　and　men；at　all　events；　I　will　trust　Him　with　absolute　confidence。

〃With　great　respect　and　affection；

〃Yours　truly；

〃W。　T。　Sherman。〃



XX。　Meeting　a　Reverse　or　Two

With　the　hitherto　unreached　magazine　circulation　of　a　million　copies　a　month　in　sight；　Edward　Bok　decided　to　give　a　broader　scope　to　the　periodical。　He　was　determined　to　lay　under　contribution　not　only　the　most　famous　writers　of　the　day；　but　also　to　seek　out　those　well…known　persons　who　usually　did　not　contribute　to　the　magazines；　always　keeping　in　mind　the　popular　appeal　of　his　material；　but　likewise　aiming　constantly　to　widen　its　scope　and　gradually　to　lift　its　standard。

Sailing　again　for　England；　he　sought　and　secured　the　acquaintance　of　Rudyard　Kipling；　whose　alert　mind　was　at　once　keenly　interested　in　what　Bok　was　trying　to　do。　He　was　willing　to　co…operate；　with　the　result　that　Bok　secured　the　author's　new　story；　William　the　Conqueror。　When　Bok　read　the　manuscript；　he　was　delighted；　he　had　for　some　time　been　reading　Kipling's　work　with　enthusiasm；　and　he　saw　at　once　that　here　was　one　of　the　author's　best　tales。

At　that　time；　Frances　E。　Willard　had　brought　her　agitation　for　temperance　prominently　before　the　public；　and　Bok　had　promised　to　aid　her　by　eliminating　from　his　magazine；　so　far　as　possible；　all　scenes　which　represented　alcoholic　drinking。　It　was　not　an　iron…clad　rule；　but；　both　from　the　principle　fixed　for　his　own　life　and　in　the　interest　of　the　thousands　of　young　people　who　read　his　magazine；　he　believed　it　would　be　better　to　minimize　all　incidents　portraying　alcoholic　drinking　or　drunkenness。　Kipling's　story　depicted　several　such　scenes；　so　when　Bok　sent　the　proofs　he　suggested　that　if　Kipling　could　moderate　some　of　these　scenes；　it　would　be　more　in　line　with　the　policy　of　the　magazine。　Bok　did　not　make　a　special　point　of　the　matter；　leaving　it　to　Kipling's　judgment　to　decide　how　far　he　could　make　such　changes　and　preserve　the　atmosphere　of　his　story。

From　this　incident　arose　the　widely　published　story　that　Bok　cabled　Kipling；　asking　permission　to　omit　a　certain　drinking　reference；　and　substitute　something　else；　whereupon　Kipling　cabled　back：　〃Substitute　Mellin's　Food。〃　As　a　matter　of　fact　（although　it　is　a　pity　to　kill　such　a　clever　story）；　no　such　cable　was　ever　sent　and　no　such　reply　ever　received。　As　Kipling　himself　wrote　to　Bok：　〃No；　I　said　nothing　about　Mellin's　Food。　I　wish　I　had。〃　An　American　author　in　London　happened　to　hear　of　the　correspondence　between　the　editor　and　the　author；　it　appealed　to　his　sense　of　humor；　and　the　published　story　was　the　result。　If　it　mattered；　it　is　possible　that　Brander　Matthews　could　accurately　reveal　the　originator　of　the　much…published　yarn。

From　Kipling's　house　Bok　went　to　Tunbridge　Wells　to　visit　Mary　Anderson；　the　one…time　popular　American　actress；　who　had　married　Antonio　de　Navarro　and　retired　from　the　stage。　A　goodly　number　of　editors　had　tried　to　induce　the　retired　actress　to　write；　just　as　a　number　of　managers　had　tried　to　induce　her　to　return　to　the　stage。　All　had　failed。　But　Bok　never　accepted　the　failure　of　others　as　a　final　decision　for　himself；　and　after　two　or　three　visits；　he　persuaded　Madame　de　Navarro　to　write　her　reminiscences；　which　he　published　with　marked　success　in　the　magazine。

The　editor　was　very　desirous　of　securing　something　for　his　magazine　that　would　delight　children；　and　he　hit　upon　the　idea　of　trying　to　induce　Lewis　Carroll　to　write　another　Alice　in　Wonderland　series。　He　was　told　by　English　friends　that　this　would　be　difficult；　since　the　author　led　a　secluded　life　at　Oxford　and　hardly　ever　admitted　any　one　into　his　confidence。　But　Bok　wanted　to　beard　the　lion　in　his　den；　and　an　Oxford　graduate　volunteered　to　introduce　him　to　an　Oxford　don　through　whom；　if　it　were　at　all　possible；　he　could　reach　the　author。　The　journey　to　Oxford　was　made；　and　Bok　was　introduced　to　the　don；　who　turned　out　to　be　no　less　a　person　than　the　original　possessor　of　the　highly　colored　vocabulary　of　the　〃White　Rabbit〃　of　the　Alice　stories。

〃Impossible；〃　immediate