the americanization of edward bok-第71章

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　most　gifted　and　resourceful　hostesses　I　have　known；　but　has　now　fallen　upon　hard　times。

〃Among　other　things　that　she　really　knows；　she　really　does　thoroughly　know　old　furniture　and　all　kinds　of　china　worth　knowing。

〃Pardon　me　if　I　have　been　guilty　of　an　indiscretion　in　sending　this　direct　to　you。　I　am　throwing　myself　upon　your　indulgence　in　my　desire　to　help　a　splendid　woman。

〃She　has　a　great　collection　of　recipes　which　housekeepers　would　like　to　have。　Does　a　serial　cook…book　sound　like　nonsense？〃

A　further　point　in　his　editing　which　Bok　always　kept　in　view　was　his　rule　that　the　editor　must　always　be　given　the　privilege　of　revising　or　editing　a　manuscript。　Bok's　invariable　rule　was；　of　course；　to　submit　his　editing　for　approval；　but　here　again　the　bigger　the　personality　back　of　the　material；　the　more　willing　the　author　was　to　have　his　manuscript　〃blue　pencilled；〃　if　he　were　convinced　that　the　deletions　or　condensations　improved　or　at　least　did　not　detract　from　his　arguments。　It　was　the　small　author　who　ever　resented　the　touch　of　the　editorial　pencil　upon　his　precious　effusions。

As　a　matter　of　fact　there　are　few　authors　who　cannot　be　edited　with　advantage；　and　it　would　be　infinitely　better　for　our　reading　if　this　truth　was　applied　to　some　of　the　literature　of　to…day。

Bok　had　once　under　his　hand　a　story　by　Mark　Twain；　which　he　believed　contained　passages　that　should　be　deleted。　They　represented　a　goodly　portion　of　the　manuscript。　They　were；　however；　taken　out；　and　the　result　submitted　to　the　humorist。　The　answer　was　curious。　Twain　evidently　saw　that　Bok　was　right；　for　he　wrote：　〃Of　course；　I　want　every　single　line　and　word　of　it　left　out；〃　and　then　added：　〃Do　me　the　favor　to　call　the　next　time　you　are　again　in　Hartford。　I　want　to　say　things　whichwell；　I　want　to　argue　with　you。〃　Bok　never　knew　what　those　〃things〃　were；　for　at　the　next　meeting　they　were　not　referred　to。

It　is；　perhaps；　a　curious　coincidence　that　all　the　Presidents　of　the　United　States　whose　work　Bok　had　occasion　to　publish　were　uniformly　liberal　with　regard　to　having　their　material　edited。

Colonel　Roosevelt　was　always　ready　to　concede　improvement：　〃Fine；〃　he　wrote；　〃the　changes　are　much　for　the　better。　I　never　object　to　my　work　being　improved；　where　it　needs　it；　so　long　as　the　sense　is　not　altered。〃

William　Howard　Taft　wrote；　after　being　subjected　to　editorial　revision：　〃You　have　done　very　well　by　my　article。　You　have　made　it　much　more　readable　by　your　rearrangement。〃

Mr。　Cleveland　was　very　likely　to　let　his　interest　in　a　subject　run　counter　to　the　space　exigencies　of　journalism；　and　Bok；　in　one　instance；　had　to　reduce　one　of　his　articles　considerably。　He　explained　the　reason　and　enclosed　the　revision。

〃I　am　entirely　willing　to　have　the　article　cut　down　as　you　suggest；〃　wrote　the　former　President。　〃I　find　sufficient　reason　for　this　in　the　fact　that　the　matter　you　suggest　for　elimination　has　been　largely　exploited　lately。　And　in　looking　the　matter　over　carefully；　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　article　expurgated　as　you　suggest　will　gain　in　unity　and　directness。　At　first；　I　feared　it　would　appear　a　little　'bobbed'　off；　but　you　are　a　much　better　judge　of　that　than　I。　。。。　I　leave　it　altogether　to　you。〃

It　was　always　interesting　to　Bok；　as　a　study　of　mental　processes；　to　note　how　differently　he　and　some　author　with　whom　he　would　talk　it　over　would　see　the　method　of　treating　some　theme。　He　was　discussing　the　growing　unrest　among　American　women　with　Rudyard　Kipling　at　the　latter's　English　home；　and　expressed　the　desire　that　the　novelist　should　treat　the　subject　and　its　causes。

They　talked　until　the　early　hours；　when　it　was　agreed　that　each　should　write　out　a　plan；　suggest　the　best　treatment；　and　come　together　the　next　morning。　When　they　did　so；　Kipling　had　mapped　out　the　scenario　of　a　novel；　Bok　had　sketched　out　the　headings　of　a　series　of　analytical　articles。　Neither　one　could　see　the　other's　viewpoint；　Kipling　contending　for　the　greater　power　of　fiction　and　Bok　strongly　arguing　for　the　value　of　the　direct　essay。　In　this　instance；　the　point　was　never　settled；　for　the　work　failed　to　materialize　in　any　form！

If　the　readers　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　were　quick　to　support　its　editor　when　he　presented　an　idea　that　appealed　to　them；　they　were　equally　quick　to　tell　him　when　he　gave　them　something　of　which　they　did　not　approve。　An　illustration　of　this　occurred　during　the　dance…craze　that　preceded　the　Great　War。　In　1914；　America　was　dance…mad；　and　the　character　of　the　dances　rapidly　grew　more　and　more　offensive。　Bok's　readers；　by　the　hundreds；　urged　him　to　come　out　against　the　tendency。

The　editor　looked　around　and　found　that　the　country's　terpsichorean　idols　were　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Vernon　Castle；　he　decided　that；　with　their　cooperation；　he　might；　by　thus　going　to　the　fountainhead；　effect　an　improvement　through　the　introduction；　by　the　Castles；　of　better　and　more　decorous　new　dances。　Bok　could　see　no　reason　why　the　people　should　not　dance；　if　they　wanted　to；　so　long　as　they　kept　within　the　bounds　of　decency。

He　found　the　Castles　willing　and　eager　to　cooperate；　not　only　because　of　the　publicity　it　would　mean　for　them；　but　because　they　were　themselves　not　in　favor　of　the　new　mode。　They　had　little　sympathy　for　the　elimination　of　the　graceful　dance　by　the　introduction　of　what　they　called　the　〃shuffle〃　or　the　〃bunny…hug；〃　〃turkey…trot；〃　and　other　ungraceful　and　unworthy　dances。　It　was　decided　that　the　Castles　should；　through　Bok's　magazine　and　their　own　public　exhibitions；　revive　the　gavotte；　the　polka；　and　finally　the　waltz。　They　would　evolve　these　into　new　forms　and　Bok　would　present　them　pictorially。　A　series　of　three　double…page　presentations　was　decided　upon；　allowing　for　large　photographs　so　that　the　steps　could　be　easily　seen　and　learned　from　the　printed　page。

The　magazine　containing　the　first　〃lesson〃　was　no　sooner　published　than　protests　began　to　come　in　by　the　hundreds。　Bok　had　not　stated　his　object；　and　the　public　misconstrued　his　effort　and　purpose　into　an　acknowledgment　that　he　had　fallen　a　victim　to　the　prevailing　craze。　He　explained　in　letters；　but　to　no　purpose。　Try　as　he　might；　Bok　could　not　rid　the　pages　of　the　savor　of　the　cabaret。　He　published　the　three　dances　as　agreed；　but　he　realized　he　had　made　a　mistake；　and　was　as　much　disgusted　as　were　his　readers。　Nor　did　he；　in　the　slightest　degree；　improve　the　dance　situation。　The　public　refused　to　try　the　new　Castle　dances；　and　kept　on　turkey…trotting　and　bunny…hugging。

The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　followed　the　Castle　lessons　with　a　series　of　the　most　beautiful　dances　of　Madam　Pavlowa；　the　Russian　dancer；　hoping　to　remove　the　unfavorable　impression　of　the　former　series。　But　it　was　only　partially　successful。　Bok　had　made　a　mistake　in　recognizing　the　craze　at　all；　he　should　have　ignored　it；　as　he　had　so　often　in　the　past　ignored　other　temporary；　superficial　hysterics　of　the　public。　The　Journal　readers　knew　the　magazine　had　made　a　mistake　and　frankly　said　so。

Which　shows　that；　even　after　having　been　for　over　twenty…five　years　in　the　editorial　chair；　Edward　Bok　was　by　no　means　infallible　in　his　judgment　of　what　the　public　wanted　or　would　accept。

No　man　is；　for　that　matter。



XXXIV。　A　War　Magazine　and　War　Activities

When；　early　in　1917；　events　began　so　to　shape　themselves　as　directly　to　point　to　the　entrance　of　the　United　States　into　the　Great　War；　Edward　Bok　set　himself　to　formulate　a　policy　for　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　He　knew　that　he　was　in　an　almost　insurmountably　difficult　position。　The　huge　edition　necessitated　going　to　press　fully　six　weeks　in　advance　of　publication；　and　the　preparation　of　material　fully　four　weeks　previous　to　that。　He　could　not；　therefore；　get　much　closer　than　ten　weeks　to　the　date　when　his　readers　received　the　magazine。　And　he　knew　that　events；　in　war　time；　had　a　way　of　moving　rapidly。

Late　in　January　he　went　to　Washington；　consulted　those　authorities　who　could　indicate　possibilities　to　him　better　than　any　one　else；　and　found；　as　he　had　suspected；　that　the　entry　of　the　United　States　into　the　war　was　a　practical　certainty；　it　was　only　a　question　of　time。

Bok　went　South　for　a　month's　holiday　to　get　ready　for　the　fray；　and　in　the　saddle　and　o