the americanization of edward bok-第60章

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；　when　the　newsboy　stuck　his　head　in　the　door　and　yelled：　〃Ladies'　Home　Journal；　out　to…day。〃　He　had　heard　this　many　times　before；　but　on　this　particular　day；　upon　hearing　the　title　of　his　own　magazine　yelled　almost　in　his　ears；　he　gave　an　involuntary　start。

Opposite　to　him　sat　a　most　companionable　young　fellow；　who；　noticing　Bok's　start；　leaned　over　and　with　a　smile　said：　〃I　know；　I　know　just　how　you　feel。　That's　the　way　I　feel　whenever　I　hear　the　name　of　that　damned　magazine。　Here；　boy；〃　he　called　to　the　retreating　magazine…carrier；　〃give　me　a　copy　of　that　Ladies'　Home　Disturber：　I　might　as　well　buy　it　here　as　in　the　station。〃

Then　to　Bok：　〃Honest；　if　I　don't　bring　home　that　sheet　on　the　day　it　is　out；　the　wife　is　in　a　funk。　She　runs　her　home　by　it　literally。　Same　with　you？〃

〃The　same；〃　answered　Bok。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　in　our　family；　we　live　by　it；　on　it；　and　from　it。〃

Bok's　neighbor；　of　course；　couldn't　get　the　real　point　of　this；　but　he　thought　he　had　it。

〃Exactly；〃　he　replied。　〃So　do　we。　That　fellow　Bok　certainly　has　the　women　buffaloed　for　good。　Ever　see　him？〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　answered　Bok。

〃Live　in　Philadelphia？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃There's　where　the　thing　is　published；　all　right。　What　does　Bok　look　like？〃

〃Oh；〃　answered　Bok　carelessly；　〃just　like；　well；　like　all　of　us。　In　fact；　he　looks　something　like　me。〃

〃Does　he；　now？〃　echoed　the　man。　〃Shouldn't　think　it　would　make　you　very　proud！〃

And；　the　train　pulling　in　at　Baltimore；　Bok's　genial　neighbor　sent　him　a　hearty　good…bye　and　ran　out　with　the　much…maligned　magazine　under　his　arm！

He　had　an　occasion　or　two　now　to　find　out　what　women　thought　of　him！

He　was　leaving　the　publication　building　one　evening　after　office　hours　when　just　as　he　opened　the　front　door；　a　woman　approached。　Bok　explained　that　the　building　was　closed。

〃Well；　I　am　sorry；〃　said　the　woman　in　a　dejected　tone；　〃for　I　don't　think　I　can　manage　to　come　again。〃

〃Is　there　anything　I　can　do？〃　asked　Bok。　〃I　am　employed　here。〃

〃No…o；〃　said　the　woman。　〃I　came　to　see　Mr。　Curtis　on　a　personal　matter。〃

〃I　shall　see　him　this　evening；〃　suggested　Bok；　〃and　can　give　him　a　message　for　you　if　you　like。〃

〃Well；　I　don't　know　if　you　can。　I　came　to　complain　to　him　about　Mr。　Bok；〃　announced　the　woman。

〃Oh；　well；〃　answered　Bok；　with　a　slight　start　at　the　matter…of…fact　announcement；　〃that　is　serious；　quite　serious。　If　you　will　explain　your　complaint；　I　will　surely　see　that　it　gets　to　Mr。　Curtis。〃

Bok's　interest　grew。

〃Well；　you　see；〃　said　the　woman；　〃it　is　this　way。　I　live　in　a　three…family　flat。　Here　is　my　name　and　card；〃　and　a　card　came　out　of　a　bag。　〃I　subscribe　to　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　It　is　delivered　at　my　house　each　month　by　Mr。　Bok。　Now　I　have　told　that　man　three　times　over　that　when　he　delivers　the　magazine；　he　must　ring　the　bell　twice。　But　he　just　persists　in　ringing　once　and　then　that　cat　who　lives　on　the　first　floor　gets　my　magazine；　reads　it；　and　keeps　it　sometimes　for　three　days　before　I　get　it！　Now；　I　want　Mr。　Curtis　to　tell　Mr。　Bok　that　he　must　do　as　I　ask　and　ring　the　bell　twice。　Can　you　give　him　that　message　for　me？　There's　no　use　talking　to　Mr。　Bok；　I've　done　that；　as　I　say。〃

And　Bok　solemnly　assured　his　subscriber　that　he　would！

Bok's　secretary　told　him　one　day　that　there　was　in　the　outer　office　the　most　irate　woman　he　had　ever　tried　to　handle；　that　he　had　tried　for　half　an　hour　to　appease　her；　but　it　was　of　no　use。　She　threatened　to　remain　until　Bok　admitted　her；　and　see　him　she　would；　and　tell　him　exactly　what　she　thought　of　him。　The　secretary　looked　as　if　he　had　been　through　a　struggle。　〃It's　hopeless；〃　he　said。　〃Will　you　see　her？〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　Bok。　〃Show　her　in。〃

The　moment　the　woman　came　in；　she　began　a　perfect　torrent　of　abuse。　Bok　could　not　piece　out；　try　as　he　might；　what　it　was　all　about。　But　he　did　gather　from　the　explosion　that　the　woman　considered　him　a　hypocrite　who　wrote　one　thing　and　did　another；　that　he　was　really　a　thief；　stealing　a　woman's　money；　and　so　forth。　There　was　no　chance　of　a　word　for　fully　fifteen　minutes　and　then；　when　she　was　almost　breathless；　Bok　managed　to　ask　if　his　caller　would　kindly　tell　him　just　what　he　had　done。

Another　torrent　of　incoherent　abuse　came　forth；　but　after　a　while　it　became　apparent　that　the　woman's　complaint　was　that　she　had　sent　a　dollar　for　a　subscription　to　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　had　never　had　a　copy　of　the　magazine；　had　complained；　and　been　told　there　was　no　record　of　the　money　being　received。　And　as　she　had　sent　her　subscription　to　Bok　personally；　he　had　purloined　the　dollar！

It　was　fully　half　an　hour　before　Bok　could　explain　to　the　irate　woman　that　he　never　remembered　receiving　a　letter　from　her；　that　subscriptions；　even　when　personally　addressed　to　him；　did　not　come　to　his　desk；　etc。；　that　if　she　would　leave　her　name　and　address　he　would　have　the　matter　investigated。　Absolutely　unconvinced　that　anything　would　be　done；　and　unaltered　in　her　opinion　about　Bok；　the　woman　finally　left。

Two　days　later　a　card　was　handed　in　to　the　editor　with　a　note　asking　him　to　see　for　a　moment　the　husband　of　his　irate　caller。　When　the　man　came　in；　he　looked　sheepish　and　amused　in　turn；　and　finally　said：

〃I　hardly　know　what　to　say；　because　I　don't　know　what　my　wife　said　to　you。　But　if　what　she　said　to　me　is　any　index　of　her　talk　with　you；　I　want　to　apologize　for　her　most　profoundly。　She　isn't　well；　and　we　shall　both　have　to　let　it　go　at　that。　As　for　her　subscription；　you；　of　course；　never　received　it；　for；　with　difficulty；　I　finally　extracted　the　fact　from　her　that　she　pinned　a　dollar　bill　to　a　postal　card　and　dropped　it　in　a　street　postal　box。　And　she　doesn't　yet　see　that　she　has　done　anything　extraordinary；　or　that　she　had　a　faith　in　Uncle　Sam　that　I　call　sublime。〃

The　Journal　had　been　calling　the　attention　of　its　readers　to　the　defacement　of　the　landscape　by　billboard　advertisers。　One　day　on　his　way　to　New　York　he　found　himself　sitting　in　a　sleeping…car　section　opposite　a　woman　and　her　daughter。

The　mother　was　looking　at　the　landscape　when　suddenly　she　commented：

〃There　are　some　of　those　ugly　advertising　signs　that　Mr。　Bok　says　are　such　a　defacement　to　the　landscape。　I　never　noticed　them　before；　but　he　is　right；　and　I　am　going　to　write　and　tell　him　so。〃

〃Oh；　mamma；　don't；〃　said　the　girl。　〃That　man　is　pampered　enough　by　women。　Don't　make　him　worse。　Ethel　says　he　is　now　the　vainest　man　in　America。〃

Bok's　eyes　must　have　twinkled；　and　just　then　the　mother　looked　at　him；　caught　his　eye；　she　gave　a　little　gasp；　and　Bok　saw　that　she　had　telepathically　discovered　him！

He　smiled；　raised　his　hat；　presented　his　card　to　the　mother；　and　said：　〃Excuse　me；　but　I　do　want　to　defend　myself　from　that　last　statement；　if　I　may。　I　couldn't　help　overhearing　it。〃

The　mother；　a　woman　of　the　world；　read　the　name　on　the　card　quickly　and　smiled；　but　the　daughter's　face　was　a　study　as　she　leaned　over　and　glanced　at　the　card。　She　turned　scarlet　and　then　white。

〃Now；　do　tell　me；〃　asked　Bok　of　the　daughter；　〃who　'Ethel'　is；　so　that　I　may　try　at　least　to　prove　that　I　am　not　what　she　thinks。〃

The　daughter　was　completely　flustered。　For　the　rest　of　the　journey；　however；　the　talk　was　informal；　the　girl　became　more　at　ease；　and　Bok　ended　by　dining　with　the　mother　and　daughter　at　their　hotel　that　evening。

But　he　never　found　out　〃Ethel's〃　other　name！

There　were　curiously　amusing　sides　to　a　man's　editorship　of　a　woman's　magazine！



XXIX。　An　Excursion　into　the　Feminine　Nature

The　strangling　hold　which　the　Paris　couturiers　had　secured　on　the　American　woman　in　their　absolute　dictation　as　to　her　fashions　in　dress；　had　interested　Edward　Bok　for　some　time。　As　he　studied　the　question；　he　was　constantly　amazed　at　the　audacity　with　which　these　French　dressmakers　and　milliners；　often　themselves　of　little　taste　and　scant　morals；　cracked　the　whip；　and　the　docility　with　which　the　American　woman　blindly　and　unintelligently　danced　to　their　measure。　The　deeper　he　went　into　the　matter；　too；　the　more　deceit　and　misrepresentation　did　he　find　in　the　situation。　It　was　inconceivable　that　the　American　woman　should　submit　to　what　was　being　imposed　upon　her　if　she　knew　the　facts。　He　determined　that　she　should。　The　proce