the americanization of edward bok-第80章
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t； all the time conscious that he is helping to make the world better for some one else？
A man's 〃play〃 can take many forms。 If his life has been barren of books or travel； let him read or see the world。 But he reaches his high estate by either of these roads only when he reads or travels to enrich himself in order to give out what he gets to enrich the lives of others。 He owes it to himself to get his own refreshment； his own pleasure； but he need not make that pure self…indulgence。
Other men； more active in body and mind； feel drawn to the modern arena of the great questions that puzzle。 It matters not in which direction a man goes in these matters any more than the length of a step matters so much as does the direction in which the step is taken。 He should seek those questions which engross his deepest interest； whether literary； musical； artistic； civic； economic； or what not。
Our cities； towns； communities of all sizes and kinds； urban and rural； cry out for men to solve their problems。 There is room and to spare for the man of any bent。 The old Romans looked forward； on coming to the age or retirement； which was definitely fixed by rule； to a rural life； when they hied themselves to a little home in the country； had open house for their friends； and 〃kept bees。〃 While bee…keeping is unquestionably interesting； there are to…day other and more vital occupations awaiting the retired American。
The main thing is to secure that freedom of movement that lets a man go where he will and do what he thinks he can do best； and prove to himself and to others that the acquirement of the dollar is not all there is to life。 No man can realize； until on awakening some morning he feels the exhilaration； the sense of freedom that comes from knowing he can choose his own doings and control his own goings。 Time is of more value than money； and it is that which the man who retires feels that he possesses。 Hamilton Mabie once said； after his retirement from an active editorial position： 〃I am so happy that the time has come when I elect what I shall do；〃 which is true； but then he added： 〃I have rubbed out the word 'must' from my vocabulary；〃 which was not true。 No man ever reaches that point。 Duty of some sort confronts a man in business or out of business； and duty spells 〃must。〃 But there is less 〃must〃 in the vocabulary of the retired man； and it is this lessened quantity that gives the tang of joy to the new day。
It is a wonderful inner personal satisfaction to reach the point when a man can say： 〃I have enough。〃 His soul and character are refreshed by it： he is made over by it。 He begins a new life！ he gets a sense of a new joy； he feels； for the first time； what a priceless possession is that thing that he never knew before； freedom。 And if he seeks that freedom at the right time； when he is at the summit of his years and powers and at the most opportune moment in his affairs； he has that supreme satisfaction denied to so many men； the opposite of which comes home with such cruel force to them： that they have overstayed their time： they have worn out their welcome。
There is no satisfaction that so thoroughly satisfies as that of going while the going is good。
Still
The friends of Edward Bok may be right when they said he made a mistake in his retirement。
However
As Mr。 Dooley says： 〃It's a good thing； sometimes； to have people size ye up wrong； Hinnessey： it's whin they've got ye'er measure ye're in danger。〃
Edward Bok's friends have failed to get his measureyet！
They still have to learn what he has learned and is learning every day： 〃the joy；〃 as Charles Lamb so aptly put it upon his retirement； 〃of walking about and around instead of to and fro。〃
The question now naturally arises； having read this record thus far： To what extent； with his unusual opportunities of fifty years； has the Americanization of Edward Bok gone？ How far is he； to…day； an American？ These questions； so direct and personal in their nature； are perhaps best answered in a way more direct and personal than the method thus far adopted in this chronicle。 We will； therefore； let Edward Bok answer these questions for himself； in closing this record of his Americanization。
XXXVIII。 Where America Fell Short with Me
When I came to the United States as a lad of six； the most needful lesson for me； as a boy； was the necessity for thrift。 I had been taught in my home across the sea that thrift was one of the fundamentals in a successful life。 My family had come from a land （the Netherlands） noted for its thrift； but we had been in the United States only a few days before the realization came home strongly to my father and mother that they had brought their children to a land of waste。
Where the Dutchman saved； the American wasted。 There was waste； and the most prodigal waste； on every hand。 In every street…car and on every ferry…boat the floors and seats were littered with newspapers that had been read and thrown away or left behind。 If I went to a grocery store to buy a peck of potatoes； and a potato rolled off the heaping measure； the groceryman； instead of picking it up； kicked it into the gutter for the wheels of his wagon to run over。 The butcher's waste filled my mother's soul with dismay。 If I bought a scuttle of coal at the corner grocery； the coal that missed the scuttle； instead of being shovelled up and put back into the bin； was swept into the street。 My young eyes quickly saw this； in the evening I gathered up the coal thus swept away； and during the course of a week I collected a scuttleful。 The first time my mother saw the garbage pail of a family almost as poor as our own； with the wife and husband constantly complaining that they could not get along； she could scarcely believe her eyes。 A half pan of hominy of the preceding day's breakfast lay in the pail next to a third of a loaf of bread。 In later years； when I saw； daily； a scow loaded with the garbage of Brooklyn householders being towed through New York harbor out to sea； it was an easy calculation that what was thrown away in a week's time from Brooklyn homes would feed the poor of the Netherlands。
At school； I quickly learned that to 〃save money〃 was to be 〃stingy〃； as a young man； I soon found that the American disliked the word 〃economy；〃 and on every hand as plenty grew spending grew。 There was literally nothing in American life to teach me thrift or economy； everything to teach me to spend and to waste。
I saw men who had earned good salaries in their prime； reach the years of incapacity as dependents。 I saw families on every hand either living quite up to their means or beyond them； rarely within them。 The more a man earned； the more heor his wifespent。 I saw fathers and mothers and their children dressed beyond their incomes。 The proportion of families who ran into debt was far greater than those who saved。 When a panic came； the families 〃pulled in〃； when the panic was over； they 〃let out。〃 But the end of one year found them precisely where they were at the close of the previous year； unless they were deeper in debt。
It was in this atmosphere of prodigal expenditure and culpable waste that I was to practise thrift： a fundamental in life！ And it is into this atmosphere that the foreign…born comes now； with every inducement to spend and no encouragement to save。 For as it was in the days of my boyhood； so it is to…dayonly worse。 One need only go over the experiences of the past two years； to compare the receipts of merchants who cater to the working…classes and the statements of savingsbanks throughout the country； to read the story of how the foreign…born are learning the habit of criminal wastefulness as taught them by the American。
Is it any wonder； then； that in this； one of the essentials in life and in all success； America fell short with me； as it is continuing to fall short with every foreign…born who comes to its shores？
As a Dutch boy； one of the cardinal truths taught me was that whatever was worth doing was worth doing well： that next to honesty came thoroughness as a factor in success。 It was not enough that anything should be done： it was not done at all if it was not done well。 I came to America to be taught exactly the opposi
