the americanization of edward bok-第77章

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Will　you　do　it？〃　Bok　stood　transfixed。　In　sending　men　over　in　the　service　of　the　Y。　M。　C。　A。　he　had　several　times　told　them　to　be　ready　for　any　act　that　they　might　be　asked　to　render；　even　the　most　sacred　one。　And　here　he　stood　himself　before　that　duty。　He　felt　as　if　he　stood　stripped　before　his　Maker。　Through　the　glassless　window　the　sky　lit　up　constantly　with　the　flashes　of　the　guns；　and　then　followed　the　booming　of　a　shell　as　it　landed。

〃Yes；　won't　you；　sir？〃　asked　the　boy　on　the　right　cot　as　he　held　out　his　hand。　Bok　took　it；　and　then　the　hand　of　the　other　boy　reached　out。

What　to　say；　he　did　not　know。　Then；　to　his　surprise；　he　heard　himself　repeating　extract　after　extract　from　a　book　by　Lyman　Abbott　called　The　Other　Room；　a　message　to　the　bereaved　declaring　the　non…existence　of　death；　but　that　we　merely　move　from　this　earth　to　another：　from　one　room　to　another；　as　it　were。　Bok　had　not　read　the　book　for　years；　but　here　was　the　subconscious　self　supplying　the　material　for　him　in　his　moment　of　greatest　need。　Then　he　remembered　that　just　before　leaving　home　he　had　heard　sung　at　matins；　after　the　prayer　for　the　President；　a　beautiful　song　called　〃Passing　Souls。〃　He　had　asked　the　rector　for　a　copy　of　it；　and；　wondering　why；　he　had　put　it　in　his　wallet　that　he　carried　with　him。　He　took　it　out　now　and　holding　the　hand　of　the　boy　at　his　right；　he　read　to　them：

　　For　the　passing　souls　we　pray；　　　Saviour；　meet　them　on　their　way；　　　Let　their　trust　lay　hold　on　Thee　　　Ere　they　touch　eternity。

　　Holy　counsels　long　forgot　　　Breathe　again　'mid　shell　and　shot；　　　Through　the　mist　of　life's　last　pain　　　None　shall　look　to　Thee　in　vain。

　　To　the　hearts　that　know　Thee；　Lord；　　　Thou　wilt　speak　through　flood　or　sword；　　　Just　beyond　the　cannon's　roar；　　　Thou　art　on　the　farther　shore。

　　For　the　passing　souls　we　pray；　　　Saviour；　meet　them　on　the　way；　　　Thou　wilt　hear　our　yearning　call；　　　Who　hast　loved　and　died　for　all。

Absolute　stillness　reigned　in　the　room　save　for　the　half…suppressed　sob　from　the　nurse　and　the　distant　booming　of　the　cannon。　As　Bok　finished；　he　heard　the　boy　at　his　right　say　slowly：　〃Saviour…meet…me…on…my…way〃：　with　a　little　emphasis　on　the　word　〃my。〃　The　hand　in　his　relaxed　slowly；　and　then　fell　on　the　cot；　and　he　saw　that　the　soul　of　another　brave　American　boy　had　〃gone　West。〃

Bok　glanced　at　the　other　boy；　reached　for　his　hand；　shook　it；　and　looking　deep　into　his　eyes；　he　left　the　little　hut。

He　little　knew　where　and　how　he　was　to　look　into　those　eyes　again！

Feeling　the　need　of　air　in　order　to　get　hold　of　himself　after　one　of　the　most　solemn　moments　of　his　visit　to　the　front；　Bok　strolled　out；　and　soon　found　himself　on　what　only　a　few　days　before　had　been　a　field　of　carnage　where　the　American　boys　had　driven　back　the　Germans。　Walking　in　the　trenches　and　looking　out；　in　the　clear　moonlight；　over　the　field　of　desolation　and　ruin；　and　thinking　of　the　inferno　that　had　been　enacted　there　only　so　recently；　he　suddenly　felt　his　foot　rest　on　what　seemed　to　be　a　soft　object。　Taking　his　〃ever…ready〃　flash　from　his　pocket；　he　shot　a　ray　at　his　feet；　only　to　realize　that　his　foot　was　resting　on　the　face　of　a　dead　German！

Bok　had　had　enough　for　one　evening！　In　fact；　he　had　had　enough　of　war　in　all　its　aspects；　and　he　felt　a　sigh　of　relief　when；　a　few　days　thereafter；　he　boarded　The　Empress　of　Asia　for　home；　after　a　ten…weeks　absence。

He　hoped　never　again　to　see；　at　first　hand；　what　war　meant！



XXXVI。　The　End　of　Thirty　Years'　Editorship

On　the　voyage　home；　Edward　Bok　decided　that；　now　the　war　was　over；　he　would　ask　his　company　to　release　him　from　the　editorship　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　His　original　plan　had　been　to　retire　at　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　a　century　of　editorship；　when　in　his　fiftieth　year。　He　was；　therefore；　six　years　behind　his　schedule。　In　October；　1919；　he　would　reach　his　thirtieth　anniversary　as　editor；　and　he　fixed　upon　this　as　an　appropriate　time　for　the　relinquishment　of　his　duties。

He　felt　he　had　carried　out　the　conditions　under　which　the　editorship　of　the　magazine　had　been　transferred　to　him　by　Mrs。　Curtis；　that　he　had　brought　them　to　fruition；　and　that　any　further　carrying　on　of　the　periodical　by　him　would　be　of　a　supplementary　character。　He　had；　too；　realized　his　hope　of　helping　to　create　a　national　institution　of　service　to　the　American　woman；　and　he　felt　that　his　part　in　the　work　was　done。

He　considered　carefully　where　he　would　leave　an　institution　which　the　public　had　so　thoroughly　associated　with　his　personality；　and　he　felt　that　at　no　point　in　its　history　could　he　so　safely　transfer　it　to　other　hands。　The　position　of　the　magazine　in　the　public　estimation　was　unquestioned；　it　had　never　been　so　strong。　Its　circulation　not　only　had　outstripped　that　of　any　other　monthly　periodical；　but　it　was　still　growing　so　rapidly　that　it　was　only　a　question　of　a　few　months　when　it　would　reach　the　almost　incredible　mark　of　two　million　copies　per　month。　With　its　advertising　patronage　exceeding　that　of　any　other　monthly；　the　periodical　had　become；　probably；　the　most　valuable　and　profitable　piece　of　magazine　property　in　the　world。

The　time　might　never　come　again　when　all　conditions　would　be　equally　favorable　to　a　change　of　editorship。　The　position　of　the　magazine　was　so　thoroughly　assured　that　its　progress　could　hardly　be　affected　by　the　retirement　of　one　editor；　and　the　accession　of　another。　There　was　a　competent　editorial　staff；　the　members　of　which　had　been　with　the　periodical　from　ten　to　thirty　years　each。　This　staff　had　been　a　very　large　factor　in　the　success　of　the　magazine。　While　Bok　had　furnished　the　initiative　and　supplied　the　directing　power；　a　large　part　of　the　editorial　success　of　the　magazine　was　due　to　the　staff。　It　could　carry　on　the　magazine　without　his　guidance。

Moreover；　Bok　wished　to　say　good…bye　to　his　public　before　it　decided；　for　some　reason　or　other；　to　say　good…bye　to　him。　He　had　no　desire　to　outstay　his　welcome。　That　public　had　been　wonderfully　indulgent　toward　his　shortcomings；　lenient　with　his　errors；　and　tremendously　inspiring　to　his　best　endeavor。　He　would　not　ask　too　much　of　it。　Thirty　years　was　a　long　tenure　of　office；　one　of　the　longest；　in　point　of　consecutively　active　editorship；　in　the　history　of　American　magazines。

He　had　helped　to　create　and　to　put　into　the　life　of　the　American　home　a　magazine　of　peculiar　distinction。　From　its　beginning　it　had　been　unlike　any　other　periodical；　it　had　always　retained　its　individuality　as　a　magazine　apart　from　the　others。　It　had　sought　to　be　something　more　than　a　mere　assemblage　of　stories　and　articles。　It　had　consistently　stood　for　ideals；　and；　save　in　one　or　two　instances；　it　had　carried　through　what　it　undertook　to　achieve。　It　had　a　record　of　worthy　accomplishment；　a　more　fruitful　record　than　many　imagined。　It　had　become　a　national　institution　such　as　no　other　magazine　had　ever　been。　It　was　indisputably　accepted　by　the　public　and　by　business　interests　alike　as　the　recognized　avenue　of　approach　to　the　intelligent　homes　of　America。

Edward　Bok　was　content　to　leave　it　at　this　point。

He　explained　all　this　in　December；　1918；　to　the　Board　of　Directors；　and　asked　that　his　resignation　be　considered。　It　was　understood　that　he　was　to　serve　out　his　thirty　years；　thus　remaining　with　the　magazine　for　the　best　part　of　another　year。

In　the　material　which　The　Journal　now　included　in　its　contents；　it　began　to　point　the　way　to　the　problems　which　would　face　women　during　the　reconstruction　period。　Bok　scanned　the　rather　crowded　field　of　thought　very　carefully；　and　selected　for　discussion　in　the　magazine　such　questions　as　seemed　to　him　most　important　for　the　public　to　understand　in　order　to　face　and　solve　its　impending　problems。　The　outstanding　question　he　saw　which　would　immediately　face　men　and　women　of　the　country　was　the　problem　of　Americanization。　The　war　and　its　after…effects　had　clearly　demonstrated　this　to　be　the　most　vital　need　in　the　life　of　the　nation；　not　only　for　the　foreign…born　but　for　the　American　as　well。

The　more　one　studied　the　problem　the　clearer　it　became　that　the　vast　majority　of　American…born　needed　a　refreshing；　and；　in　many　cases；　a　new　conception　of　American　ideals　as　much　as　did　the　foreign…born