the americanization of edward bok-第50章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ver　achieved。　It　was　a　veritable　wonder…piece；　far　exceeding　the　utmost　expression　of　paint　and　canvas。

For　six　months　a　group　of　skilled　artisans　worked　to　take　the　picture　apart　in　New　York；　transport　it　and　set　it　into　its　place　in　Philadelphia。　But　at　last　it　was　in　place：　the　wonder…picture　in　glass　of　which　painters　have　declared　that　〃mere　words　are　only　aggravating　in　describing　this　amazing　picture。〃　Since　that　day　over　one　hundred　thousand　visitors　to　the　building　have　sat　in　admiration　before　it。

The　Grove　of　Academe　was　to　become　a　Dream　Garden；　but　it　was　only　after　six　years　of　incessant　effort；　with　obstacles　and　interventions　almost　insurmountable；　that　the　dream　became　true。



XXIII。　Theodore　Roosevelt's　Influence

When　the　virile　figure　of　Theodore　Roosevelt　swung　down　the　national　highway；　Bok　was　one　of　thousands　of　young　men　who　felt　strongly　the　attraction　of　his　personality。　Colonel　Roosevelt　was　only　five　years　the　senior　of　the　editor；　he　spoke；　therefore；　as　one　of　his　own　years。　The　energy　with　which　he　said　and　did　things　appealed　to　Bok。　He　made　Americanism　something　more　real；　more　stirring　than　Bok　had　ever　felt　it；　he　explained　national　questions　in　a　way　that　caught　Bok's　fancy　and　came　within　his　comprehension。　Bok's　lines　had　been　cast　with　many　of　the　great　men　of　the　day；　but　he　felt　that　there　was　something　distinctive　about　the　personality　of　this　man：　his　method　of　doing　things　and　his　way　of　saying　things。　Bok　observed　everything　Colonel　Roosevelt　did　and　read　everything　he　wrote。

The　editor　now　sought　an　opportunity　to　know　personally　the　man　whom　he　admired。　It　came　at　a　dinner　at　the　University　Club；　and　Colonel　Roosevelt　suggested　that　they　meet　there　the　following　day　for　a　〃talk…fest。〃　For　three　hours　the　two　talked　together。　The　fact　that　Colonel　Roosevelt　was　of　Dutch　ancestry　interested　Bok；　that　Bok　was　actually　of　Dutch　birth　made　a　strong　appeal　to　the　colonel。　With　his　tremendous　breadth　of　interests；　Roosevelt；　Bok　found；　had　followed　him　quite　closely　in　his　work；　and　was　familiar　with　〃its　high　points；〃　as　he　called　them。　〃We　must　work　for　the　same　ends；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃you　in　your　way；　I　in　mine。　But　our　lines　are　bound　to　cross。　You　and　I　can　each　become　good　Americans　by　giving　our　best　to　make　America　better。　With　the　Dutch　stock　there　is　in　both　of　us；　there's　no　limit　to　what　we　can　do。　Let's　go　to　it。〃　Naturally　that　talk　left　the　two　firm　friends。

Bok　felt　somehow　that　he　had　been　given　a　new　draft　of　Americanism：　the　word　took　on　a　new　meaning　for　him；　it　stood　for　something　different；　something　deeper　and　finer　than　before。　And　every　subsequent　talk　with　Roosevelt　deepened　the　feeling　and　stirred　Bok's　deepest　ambitions。　〃Go　to　it；　you　Dutchman；〃　Roosevelt　would　say；　and　Bok　would　go　to　it。　A　talk　with　Roosevelt　always　left　him　feeling　as　if　mountains　were　the　easiest　things　in　the　world　to　move。

One　of　Theodore　Roosevelt's　arguments　which　made　a　deep　impression　upon　Bok　was　that　no　man　had　a　right　to　devote　his　entire　life　to　the　making　of　money。　〃You　are　in　a　peculiar　position；〃　said　the　man　of　Oyster　Bay　one　day　to　Bok；　〃you　are　in　that　happy　position　where　you　can　make　money　and　do　good　at　the　same　time。　A　man　wields　a　tremendous　power　for　good　or　for　evil　who　is　welcomed　into　a　million　homes　and　read　with　confidence。　That's　fine；　and　is　all　right　so　far　as　it　goes；　and　in　your　case　it　goes　very　far。　Still；　there　remains　more　for　you　to　do。　The　public　has　built　up　for　you　a　personality：　now　give　that　personality　to　whatever　interests　you　in　contact　with　your　immediate　fellowmen：　something　in　your　neighborhood；　your　city；　or　your　State。　With　one　hand　work　and　write　to　your　national　audience：　let　no　fads　sway　you。　Hew　close　to　the　line。　But；　with　the　other　hand；　swing　into　the　life　immediately　around　you。　Think　it　over。〃

Bok　did　think　it　over。　He　was　now　realizing　the　dream　of　his　life　for　which　he　had　worked：　his　means　were　sufficient　to　give　his　mother　every　comfort；　to　install　her　in　the　most　comfortable　surroundings　wherever　she　chose　to　live；　to　make　it　possible　for　her　to　spend　the　winters　in　the　United　States　and　the　summers　in　the　Netherlands；　and　thus　to　keep　in　touch　with　her　family　and　friends　in　both　countries。　He　had　for　years　toiled　unceasingly　to　reach　this　point：　he　felt　he　had　now　achieved　at　least　one　goal。

He　had　now　turned　instinctively　to　the　making　of　a　home　for　himself。　After　an　engagement　of　four　years　he　had　been　married；　on　October　22；　1896；　to　Mary　Louise　Curtis；　the　only　child　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Cyrus　H。　K。　Curtis；　two　sons　had　been　born　to　them；　he　had　built　and　was　occupying　a　house　at　Merion；　Pennsylvania；　a　suburb　six　miles　from　the　Philadelphia　City　Hall。　When　she　was　in　this　country　his　mother　lived　with　him；　and　also　his　brother；　and；　with　a　strong　belief　in　life　insurance；　he　had　seen　to　it　that　his　family　was　provided　for　in　case　of　personal　incapacity　or　of　his　demise。　In　other　words；　he　felt　that　he　had　put　his　own　house　in　order；　he　had　carried　out　what　he　felt　is　every　man's　duty：　to　be；　first　of　all；　a　careful　and　adequate　provider　for　his　family。　He　was　now　at　the　point　where　he　could　begin　to　work　for　another　goal；　the　goal　that　he　felt　so　few　American　men　saw：　the　point　in　his　life　where　he　could　retire　from　the　call　of　duty　and　follow　the　call　of　inclination。

At　the　age　of　forty　he　tried　to　look　ahead　and　plan　out　his　life　as　far　as　he　could。　Barring　unforeseen　obstacles；　he　determined　to　retire　from　active　business　when　he　reached　his　fiftieth　year；　and　give　the　remainder　of　his　life　over　to　those　interests　and　influences　which　he　assumed　now　as　part　of　his　life；　and　which；　at　fifty；　should　seem　to　him　best　worth　while。　He　realized　that　in　order　to　do　this　he　must　do　two　things：　he　must　husband　his　financial　resources　and　he　must　begin　to　accumulate　a　mental　reserve。

The　wide　public　acceptance　of　the　periodical　which　he　edited　naturally　brought　a　share　of　financial　success　to　him。　He　had　experienced　poverty；　and　as　he　subsequently　wrote；　in　an　article　called　〃Why　I　Believe　in　Poverty；〃　he　was　deeply　grateful　for　his　experience。　He　had　known　what　it　was　to　be　poor；　he　had　seen　others　dear　to　him　suffer　for　the　bare　necessities；　there　was；　in　fact；　not　a　single　step　on　that　hard　road　that　he　had　not　travelled。　He　could；　therefore；　sympathize　with　the　fullest　understanding　with　those　similarly　situated；　could　help　as　one　who　knew　from　practice　and　not　from　theory。　He　realized　what　a　marvellous　blessing　poverty　can　be；　but　as　a　condition　to　experience；　to　derive　from　it　poignant　lessons；　and　then　to　get　out　of；　not　as　a　condition　to　stay　in。

Of　course　many　said　to　Bok　when　he　wrote　the　article　in　which　he　expressed　these　beliefs：　〃That's　all　very　well；　easy　enough　to　say；　but　how　can　you　get　out　of　it？〃　Bok　realized　that　he　could　not　definitely　show　any　one　the　way。　No　one　had　shown　him。　No　two　persons　can　find　the　same　way　out。　Bok　determined　to　lift　himself　out　of　poverty　because　his　mother　was　not　born　in　it；　did　not　belong　in　it；　and　could　not　stand　it。　That　gave　him　the　first　essential：　a　purpose。　Then　he　backed　up　the　purpose　with　effort　and　an　ever…ready　willingness　to　work；　and　to　work　at　anything　that　came　his　way；　no　matter　what　it　was；　so　long　as　it　meant　〃the　way　out。〃　He　did　not　pick　and　choose；　he　took　what　came；　and　did　it　in　the　best　way　he　knew　how；　and　when　he　did　not　like　what　he　was　doing　he　still　did　it　as　well　as　he　could　while　he　was　doing　it；　but　always　with　an　eye　single　to　the　purpose　not　to　do　it　any　longer　than　was　strictly　necessary。　He　used　every　rung　in　the　ladder　as　a　rung　to　the　one　above。　He　always　gave　more　than　his　particular　position　or　salary　asked　for。　He　never　worked　by　the　clock；　always　by　the　job；　and　saw　that　it　was　well　done　regardless　of　the　time　it　took　to　do　it。　This　meant　effort；　of　course；　untiring；　ceaseless；　unsparing；　and　it　meant　work；　hard　as　nails。

He　was　particularly　careful　never　to　live　up　to　his　income；　and　as　his　income　increased　he　increased　not　the　percentage　of　expenditure　but　the　percentage　of　saving。　Thrift　was；　of　course；　inborn　with　him　as　a　Dutchman；　but　the　necessity　for　it　as　a　prime　factor　in　life　was　burned　into　h