the americanization of edward bok-第24部分

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As　these　last　words　were　spoken；　a　man　seated　at　a　desk　directly　behind　the　speaker　looked　up；　smiled；　and　resumed　reading　a　document　which　he　had　dropped　in　to　sign。　A　smile　also　spread　over　the　countenance　of　the　American　publisher　as　he　furtively　glanced　over　the　shoulder　of　the　English　visitor　and　caught　the　eye　of　the　smiling　man　at　the　desk。

Bok　saw　the　little　comedy；　realized　at　once　that　he　had　discovered　the　author　of　The　Breadwinners；　and　stated　to　the　publisher　that　he　intended　to　use　the　incident　in　his　literary　letter。　But　it　proved　to　be　one　of　those　heart…rending　instances　of　a　delicious　morsel　of　news　that　must　be　withheld　from　the　journalist's　use。　The　publisher　acknowledged　that　Bok　had　happened　upon　the　true　authorship；　but　placed　him　upon　his　honor　to　make　no　use　of　the　incident。　And　Bok　learned　again　the　vital　journalistic　lesson　that　there　are　a　great　many　things　in　the　world　that　the　journalist　knows　and　yet　cannot　write　about。　He　would　have　been　years　in　advance　of　the　announcement　finally　made　that　John　Hay　wrote　the　novel。

At　another　time；　while　waiting；　Bok　had　an　experience　which；　while　interesting；　was　saddening　instead　of　amusing。　He　was　sitting　in　Mark　Twain's　sitting…room　in　his　home　in　Hartford　waiting　for　the　humorist　to　return　from　a　walk。　Suddenly　sounds　of　devotional　singing　came　in　through　the　open　window　from　the　direction　of　the　outer　conservatory。　The　singing　was　low；　yet　the　sad　tremor　in　the　voice　seemed　to　give　it　special　carrying　power。

〃You　have　quite　a　devotional　servant；〃　Bok　said　to　a　maid　who　was　dusting　the　room。

〃Oh；　that　is　not　a　servant　who　is　singing；　sir；〃　was　the　answer。　〃You　can　step　to　this　window　and　see　for　yourself。〃

Bok　did　so；　and　there；　sitting　alone　on　one　of　the　rustic　benches　in　the　flower…house；　was　a　small；　elderly　woman。　Keeping　time　with　the　first　finger　of　her　right　hand；　as　if　with　a　baton；　she　was　slightly　swaying　her　frail　body　as　she　sang；　softly　yet　sweetly；　Charles　Wesley's　hymn；　〃Jesus；　Lover　of　My　Soul；〃　and　Sarah　Flower　Adams's　〃Nearer；　My　God；　to　Thee。〃

But　the　singer　was　not　a　servant。　It　was　Harriet　Beecher　Stowe！

On　another　visit　to　Hartford；　shortly　afterward；　Bok　was　just　turning　into　Forrest　Street　when　a　little　old　woman　came　shambling　along　toward　him；　unconscious；　apparently；　of　people　or　surroundings。　In　her　hand　she　carried　a　small　tree…switch。　Bok　did　not　notice　her　until　just　as　he　had　passed　her　he　heard　her　calling　to　him：　〃Young　man；　young　man。〃　Bok　retraced　his　steps；　and　then　the　old　lady　said：　〃Young　man；　you　have　been　leaning　against　something　white；〃　and　taking　her　tree…switch　she　whipped　some　wall　dust　from　the　sleeve　of　Bok's　coat。　It　was　not　until　that　moment　that　Bok　recognized　in　his　self…appointed　〃brush〃　no　less　a　personage　than　Harriet　Beecher　Stowe。

〃This　is　Mrs。　Stowe；　is　it　not？〃　he　asked；　after　tendering　his　thanks　to　her。

Those　blue　eyes　looked　strangely　into　his　as　she　answered：

〃That　is　my　name；　young　man。　I　live　on　this　street。　Are　you　going　to　have　me　arrested　for　stopping　you？〃　with　which　she　gathered　up　her　skirts　and　quickly　ran　away；　looking　furtively　over　her　shoulder　at　the　amazed　young　man；　sorrowfully　watching　the　running　figure！

Speaking　of　Mrs。　Stowe　brings　to　mind　an　unscrupulous　and　yet　ingenious　trick　just　about　this　time　played　by　a　young　man　attached　to　one　of　the　New　York　publishing　houses。　One　evening　at　dinner　this　chap　happened　to　be　in　a　bookish　company　when　the　talk　turned　to　the　enthusiasm　of　the　Southern　negro　for　an　illustrated　Bible。　The　young　publishing　clerk　listened　intently；　and　next　day　he　went　to　a　Bible　publishing　house　in　New　York　which　issued　a　Bible　gorgeous　with　pictures　and　entered　into　an　arrangement　with　the　proprietors　whereby　he　should　have　the　Southern　territory。　He　resigned　his　position；　and　within　a　week　he　was　in　the　South。　He　made　arrangements　with　an　artist　friend　to　make　a　change　in　each　copy　of　the　Bible　which　he　contracted　for。　The　angels　pictured　therein　were　white　in　color。　He　had　these　made　black；　so　he　could　show　that　there　were　black　angels　as　well　as　white　ones。　The　Bibles　cost　him　just　eighty　cents　apiece。　He　went　about　the　South　and　offered　the　Bibles　to　the　astonished　and　open…mouthed　negroes　for　eight　dollars　each；　two　dollars　and　a　half　down　and　the　rest　in　monthly　payments。　His　sales　were　enormous。　Then　he　went　his　rounds　all　over　again　and　offered　to　close　out　the　remaining　five　dollars　and　a　half　due　him　by　a　final　payment　of　two　dollars　and　a　half　each。　In　nearly　every　case　the　bait　was　swallowed；　and　on　each　Bible　he　thus　cleared　four　dollars　and　twenty　cents　net！

Running　the　elevator　in　the　building　where　a　prominent　publishing　firm　had　its　office　was　a　negro　of　more　than　ordinary　intelligence。　The　firm　had　just　published　a　subscription　book　on　mechanical　engineering；　a　chapter　of　which　was　devoted　to　the　construction　and　operation　of　passenger　elevators。　One　of　the　agents　selling　the　book　thought　he　might　find　a　customer　in　Washington。

〃Wash；〃　said　the　book…agent；　〃you　ought　to　buy　a　copy　of　this　book；　do　you　know　it？〃

〃No；　boss；　don't　want　no　books。　Don't　git　no　time　fo'　readin'　books；〃　drawled　Wash。　〃It　teks　all　mah　time　to　run　dis　elevator。〃

〃But　this　book　will　help　you　to　run　your　elevator。　See　here：　there's　a　whole　chapter　here　on　elevators；〃　persisted　the　canvasser。

〃Don't　want　no　help　to　run　dis　elevator；〃　said　the　darky。　〃Dis　elevator　runs　all　right　now。〃

〃But；〃　said　the　canvasser；　〃this　will　help　you　to　run　it　better。　You　will　know　twice　as　much　when　you　get　through。〃

〃No；　boss；　no；　dat's　just　it；〃　returned　Wash。　〃Don't　want　to　learn　nothing；　boss；〃　he　said。　〃Why；　boss；　I　know　more　now　than　I　git　paid　for。〃

There　was　one　New　York　newspaper　that　prided　itself　on　its　huge　circulation；　and　its　advertising　canvassers　were　particularly　insistent　in　securing　the　advertisements　of　publishers。　Of　course；　the　real　purpose　of　the　paper　was　to　secure　a　certain　standing　for　itself；　which　it　lacked；　rather　than　to　be　of　any　service　to　the　publishers。

By　dint　of　perseverance；　its　agents　finally　secured　from　one　of　the　ten…cent　magazines；　then　so　numerous；　a　large　advertisement　of　a　special　number；　and　in　order　to　test　the　drawing　power　of　the　newspaper　as　a　medium；　there　was　inserted　a　line　in　large　black　type：

〃SEND　TEN　CENTS　FOR　A　NUMBER。〃

But　the　compositor　felt　that　magazine　literature　should　be　even　cheaper　than　it　was；　and　to　that　thought　in　his　mind　his　fingers　responded；　so　that　when　the　advertisement　appeared；　this　particular　bold…type　line　read：

〃SEND　TEN　CENTS　FOR　A　YEAR。〃

This　wonderful　offer　appealed　with　singular　force　to　the　class　of　readers　of　this　particular　paper；　and　they　decided　to　take　advantage　of　it。　The　advertisement　appeared　on　Sunday；　and　Monday's　first　mail　brought　the　magazine　over　eight　hundred　letters　with　ten　cents　enclosed　〃for　a　year's　subscription　as　per　your　advertisement　in　yesterday's　。〃　The　magazine　management　consulted　its　lawyer；　who　advised　the　publisher　to　make　the　newspaper　pay　the　extra　ninety　cents　on　each　subscription；　and；　although　this　demand　was　at　first　refused；　the　proprietors　of　the　daily　finally　yielded。　At　the　end　of　the　first　week　eight　thousand　and　fifty…five　letters　with　ten　cents　enclosed　had　reached　the　magazine；　and　finally　the　total　was　a　few　over　twelve　thousand！



XIV。　Last　Years　in　New　York

Edward　Bok's　lines　were　now　to　follow　those　of　advertising　for　several　years。　He　was　responsible　for　securing　the　advertisements　for　The　Book　Buyer　and　The　Presbyterian　Review。　While　the　former　was；　frankly；　a　house…organ；　its　editorial　contents　had　so　broadened　as　to　make　the　periodical　of　general　interest　to　book…lovers；　and　with　the　subscribers　constituting　the　valuable　list　of　Scribner　book…buyers；　other　publishers　were　eager　to　fish　in　the　Scribner　pond。

With　The　Presbyterian　Review；　the　condition　was　different。　A　magazine　issued　quarterly　naturally　lacks　the　continuity　desired　by　the　advertiser；　the　scope　of　the　magazine　was　limited；　and　so　was　the　circulation。　It　was　a　difficult　magazine　to　〃sell〃　to　the　advertiser；　and　Bok's　salesmanship　was　taxed　to　the　utmost。　Although　all　that　the　publishers　asked　was　that　the　expense　of　getting　out　the　periodical　be　met；　with　its　two　hundred　and　odd　pages　even　this　was　difficult。　It　was　not　an　attractive　proposition。

The　most　interesting　feature　of　the　magazine　to　Bok　appeared　to　be　the　method　of　editing。　It　was　ostensibly　edited　by　a　board；　but；　practically；　by　Professor　Francis　L。　Patton；　D。D。；　of　Princeton　Theological　Seminary　（afterward　president　of　Princeton　University）；　and　Doctor　Charles　A。　Briggs；　of　Union　Theological　Seminary。　The　views　of　these　two　theologians　differed　rather　widely；　and　when；　upon　several　occasions；　they　met　in　Bok's　office；　on　bringing　in　their　different　articles　to　go　into　the　magazine；　lively　discussions　ensued。　Bok　did　not　often　get　the　drift　of　these　discussions；　but　he　was　intensely　interested　in　listening　to　the　diverse　views　of　the　two　theologians。

One　day　the　question　of　heresy　came　up　between　the　two　men；　and　during　a　pause　in　the　discussion；　Bok；　looking　for　light；　turned　to　Doctor　Briggs　and　asked：　〃Doctor；　what　really　is　heresy？〃

D