the americanization of edward bok-第70章

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alleries；　and　seen　only　by　the　favored　few；　that　the　public　had　never　been　allowed　to　get　any　closer　to　them　than　to　read　of　the　fabulous　prices　paid　by　their　millionaire　owners；　and　that　now　the　magazine　would　open　the　doors　of　those　exclusive　galleries　and　let　the　public　inpublic　curiosity　was　at　once　piqued；　and　over　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　persons　who　had　never　before　bought　the　magazine　were　added　to　the　list。

In　not　one　of　these　instances；　nor　in　the　case　of　other　successful　series；　did　the　appeal　to　the　public　depend　upon　the　names　of　contributors；　there　were　none：　it　was　the　idea　which　the　public　liked　and　to　which　it　responded。

The　editorial　Edward　Bok　enjoyed　this　hugely；　the　real　Edward　Bok　did　not。　The　one　was　bottled　up　in　the　other。　It　was　a　case　of　absolute　self…effacement。　The　man　behind　the　editor　knew　that　if　he　followed　his　own　personal　tastes　and　expressed　them　in　his　magazine；　a　limited　audience　would　be　his　instead　of　the　enormous　clientele　that　he　was　now　reaching。　It　was　the　man　behind　the　editor　who　had　sought　expression　in　the　idea　of　Country　Life；　the　magazine　which　his　company　sold　to　Doubleday；　Page　&　Company；　and　which　he　would　personally　have　enjoyed　editing。

It　was　in　1913　that　the　real　Edward　Bok；　bottled　up　for　twenty…five　years；　again　came　to　the　surface。　The　majority　stockholders　of　The　Century　Magazine　wanted　to　dispose　of　their　interest　in　the　periodical。　Overtures　were　made　to　The　Curtis　Publishing　Company；　but　its　hands　were　full；　and　the　matter　was　presented　for　Bok's　personal　consideration。　The　idea　interested　him；　as　he　saw　in　The　Century　a　chance　for　his　self…expression。　He　entered　into　negotiations；　looked　carefully　into　the　property　itself　and　over　the　field　which　such　a　magazine　might　fill；　decided　to　buy　it；　and　install　an　active　editor　while　he；　as　a　close　adviser；　served　as　the　propelling　power。

Bok　figured　out　that　there　was　room　for　one　of　the　trio　of　what　was；　and　still　is；　called　the　standard…sized　magazines；　namely　Scribner's；　Harper's；　and　The　Century。　He　believed；　as　he　does　to…day；　that　any　one　of　these　magazines　could　be　so　edited　as　to　preserve　all　its　traditions　and　yet　be　so　ingrafted　with　the　new　progressive；　modern　spirit　as　to　dominate　the　field　and　constitute　itself　the　leader　in　that　particular　group。　He　believed　that　there　was　a　field　which　would　produce　a　circulation　in　the　neighborhood　of　a　quarter　of　a　million　copies　a　month　for　one　of　those　magazines；　so　that　it　would　be　considered　not；　as　now；　one　of　three；　but　the　one。

What　Bok　saw　in　the　possibilities　of　the　standard　illustrated　magazine　has　been　excellently　carried　out　by　Mr。　Ellery　Sedgwick　in　The　Atlantic　Monthly；　every　tradition　has　been　respected；　and　yet　the　new　progressive　note　introduced　has　given　it　a　position　and　a　circulation　never　before　attained　by　a　non…illustrated　magazine　of　the　highest　class。

As　Bok　studied　the　field；　his　confidence　in　the　proposition；　as　he　saw　it；　grew。　For　his　own　amusement；　he　made　up　some　six　issues　of　The　Century　as　he　visualized　it；　and　saw　that　the　articles　he　had　included　were　all　obtainable。　He　selected　a　business　manager　and　publisher　who　would　relieve　him　of　the　manufacturing　problems；　but　before　the　contract　was　actually　closed　Bok；　naturally；　wanted　to　consult　Mr。　Curtis；　who　was　just　returning　from　abroad；　as　to　this　proposed　sharing　of　his　editor。

For　one　man　to　edit　two　magazines　inevitably　meant　a　distribution　of　effort；　and　this　Mr。　Curtis　counselled　against。　He　did　not　believe　that　any　man　could　successfully　serve　two　masters；　it　would　also　mean　a　division　of　public　association；　it　might　result　in　Bok's　physical　undoing；　as　already　he　was　overworked。　Mr。　Curtis's　arguments；　of　course；　prevailed；　the　negotiations　were　immediately　called　off；　and　for　the　second　timefor　some　wise　reason；　undoubtedlythe　real　Edward　Bok　was　subdued。　He　went　back　into　the　bottle！

A　cardinal　point　in　Edward　Bok's　code　of　editing　was　not　to　commit　his　magazine　to　unwritten　material；　or　to　accept　and　print　articles　or　stories　simply　because　they　were　the　work　of　well…known　persons。　And　as　his　acquaintance　with　authors　multiplied；　he　found　that　the　greater　the　man　the　more　willing　he　was　that　his　work　should　stand　or　fall　on　its　merit；　and　that　the　editor　should　retain　his　prerogative　of　declinationif　he　deemed　it　wise　to　exercise　it。

Rudyard　Kipling　was；　and　is；　a　notable　example　of　this　broad　and　just　policy。　His　work　is　never　imposed　upon　an　editor；　it　is　invariably　submitted；　in　its　completed　form；　for　acceptance　or　declination。　〃Wait　until　it's　done；〃　said　Kipling　once　to　Bok　as　he　outlined　a　story　to　him　which　the　editor　liked；　〃and　see　whether　you　want　it。　You　can't　tell　until　then。〃　（What　a　difference　from　the　type　of　author　who　insists　that　an　editor　must　take　his　or　her　story　before　a　line　is　written！）

〃I　told　Watt　to　send　you；〃　he　writes　to　Bok；　〃the　first　four　of　my　child　stories　（you　see　I　hadn't　forgotten　my　promise）；　and　they　may　serve　to　amuse　you　for　a　while　personally；　even　if　you　don't　use　them　for　publication。　Frankly；　I　don't　myself　see　how　they　can　be　used　for　the　L。　H。　J。；　but　they're　part　of　a　scheme　of　mine　for　trying　to　give　children　not　a　notion　of　history；　but　a　notion　of　the　time　sense　which　is　at　the　bottom　of　all　knowledge　of　history；　and　history；　rightly　understood；　means　the　love　of　one's　fellow…men　and　the　land　one　lives　in。〃

James　Whitcomb　Riley　was　another　who　believed　that　an　editor　should　have　the　privilege　of　saying　〃No〃　if　he　so　elected。　When　Riley　was　writing　a　series　of　poems　for　Bok；　the　latter；　not　liking　a　poem　which　the　Hoosier　poet　sent　him；　returned　it　to　him。　He　wondered　how　Riley　would　receive　a　declinationnaturally　a　rare　experience。　But　his　immediate　answer　settled　the　question：

〃Thanks　equally　for　your　treatment　of　both　poems；　＇he　wrote＇；　the　one　accepted　and　the　other　returned。　Maintain　your　own　opinions　and　respect；　and　my　vigorous　esteem　for　you　shall　remain　'deep…rooted　in　the　fruitful　soil。'　No　occasion　for　apology　whatever。　In　my　opinion；　you　are　wrong；　in　your　opinion；　you　are　right；　therefore；　you　are　right；at　least　righter　than　wronger。　It　is　seldom　that　I　drop　other　work　for　logic；　but　when　I　do；　as　my　grandfather　was　wont　to　sturdily　remark；　'it　is　to　some　purpose；　I　can　promise　you。'

〃Am　goin'　to　try　mighty　hard　to　send　you　the　dialect　work　you've　so　long　wanted；　in　few　weeks　at　furthest。　'Patience　and　shuffle　the　cards。'

〃I　am　really；　just　now；　stark　and　bare　of　one　commonsence　idea。　In　the　writing　line；　I　was　never　so　involved　before　and　see　no　end　to　the　ink…（an　humorous　voluntary　provocative；　I　trust　of　much　merriment）…creasing　pressure　of　it　all。

〃Even　the　hope　of　waking　to　find　myself　famous　is　denied　me；　since　I　haven't　time　in　which　to　fall　asleep。　Therefore；　very　drowsily　and　yawningly　indeed；　I　am　your

〃James　Whitcomb　Riley。〃

Neither　did　the　President　of　the　United　States　consider　himself　above　a　possible　declination　of　his　material　if　it　seemed　advisable　to　the　editor。　In　1916　Woodrow　Wilson　wrote　to　Bok：

〃Sometime　ago　you　kindly　intimated　to　me　that　you　would　like　to　publish　an　article　from　me。　At　first；　it　seemed　impossible　for　me　to　undertake　anything　of　the　kind；　but　I　have　found　a　little　interval　in　which　I　have　written　something　on　Mexico　which　I　hope　you　will　think　worthy　of　publication。　If　not；　will　you　return　it　to　me？〃

The　President；　too；　acted　as　an　intermediary　in　turning　authors　in　Bok's　direction；　when　the　way　opened。　In　a　letter　written　not　on　the　official　White　House　letterhead；　but　on　his　personal　〃up…stairs〃　stationery；　as　it　is　called；　he　asks：

〃Will　you　do　me　the　favor　of　reading　the　enclosed　to　see　if　it　is　worthy　of　your　acceptance　for　the　Journal；　or　whether　you　think　it　indicates　that　the　writer；　with　a　few　directions　and　suggestions；　might　be　useful　to　you？

〃It　was　written　by　。　She　is　a　woman　of　great　refinement；　of　a　very　unusually　broad　social　experience；　and　of　many　exceptional　gifts；　who　thoroughly　knows　what　she　is　writing　about；　whether　she　has　yet　discovered　the　best　way　to　set　it　forth　or　not。　She　is　one　of　the　most　gifted　and　resourceful　hostesses　I　have　known；　but　has　now　fallen　upon　hard　times。

〃Among　o