the americanization of edward bok-第44部分

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　of　the　work　of　the　Athenian　philosopher；　a　good　decoration　would　result。　Pyle　was　then　in　Italy；　Bok　telephoned　the　painter's　home　in　Wilmington；　Delaware；　to　get　his　address；　only　to　be　told　that　an　hour　earlier　word　had　been　received　by　the　family　that　Pyle　had　been　fatally　stricken　the　day　before。

Once　more　Bok　went　over　the　field　of　mural　art　and　decided　this　time　that　he　would　go　far　afield；　and　present　his　idea　to　Boutet　de　Monvel；　the　French　decorative　artist。　Bok　had　been　much　impressed　with　some　decorative　work　by　De　Monvel　which　had　just　been　exhibited　in　New　York。　By　letter　he　laid　the　proposition　in　detail　before　the　artist；　asked　for　a　subject；　and　stipulated　that　if　the　details　could　be　arranged　the　artist　should　visit　the　building　and　see　the　place　and　surroundings　for　himself。　After　a　lengthy　correspondence；　and　sketches　submitted　and　corrected；　a　plan　for　what　promised　to　be　a　most　unusual　and　artistically　decorative　panel　was　arrived　at。

The　date　for　M。　de　Monvel's　visit　to　Philadelphia　was　fixed；　a　final　letter　from　the　artist　reached　Bok　on　a　Monday　morning；　in　which　a　few　remaining　details　were　satisfactorily　cleared　up；　and　a　cable　was　sent　assuring　De　Monvel　of　the　entire　satisfaction　of　the　company　with　his　final　sketches　and　arrangements。　The　following　morning　Bok　picked　up　his　newspaper　to　read　that　Boutet　de　Monvel　had　suddenly　passed　away　in　Paris　the　previous　evening！

Bok；　thoroughly　bewildered；　began　to　feel　as　if　some　fatal　star　hung　over　his　cherished　decoration。　Three　times　in　succession　he　had　met　the　same　decree　of　fate。

He　consulted　six　of　the　leading　mural　decorators　in　America；　asking　whether　they　would　consent；　not　in　competition；　to　submit　each　a　finished　full…color　sketch　of　the　subject　which　he　believed　fitted　for　the　place　in　mind；　they　could　take　the　Grove　of　Academe　or　not；　as　they　chose；　the　subject　was　to　be　of　their　own　selection。　Each　artist　was　to　receive　a　generous　fee　for　his　sketch；　whether　accepted　or　rejected。　In　due　time；　the　six　sketches　were　received；　impartial　judges　were　selected；　no　names　were　attached　to　the　sketches；　several　conferences　were　held；　and　all　the　sketches　were　rejected！

Bok　was　still　exactly　where　he　started；　while　the　building　was　nearly　complete；　with　no　mural　for　the　large　place　so　insistently　demanding　it。

He　now　recalled　a　marvellous　stage…curtain　entirely　of　glass　mosaic　executed　by　Louis　C。　Tiffany；　of　New　York；　for　the　Municipal　Theatre　at　Mexico　City。　The　work　had　attracted　universal　attention　at　its　exhibition；　art　critics　and　connoisseurs　had　praised　it　unstintingly；　and　Bok　decided　to　experiment　in　that　direction。

Just　as　the　ancient　Egyptians　and　Persians　had　used　glazed　brick　and　tile；　set　in　cement；　as　their　form　of　wall　decoration；　so　Mr。　Tiffany　had　used　favrile　glass；　set　in　cement。　The　luminosity　was　marvellous；　the　effect　of　light　upon　the　glass　was　unbelievably　beautiful；　and　the　colorings　obtained　were　a　joy　to　the　senses。

Here　was　not　only　a　new　method　in　wall　decoration；　but　one　that　was　entirely　practicable。　Glass　would　not　craze　like　tiles　or　mosaic；　it　would　not　crinkle　as　will　canvas；　it　needed　no　varnish。　It　would　retain　its　color；　freshness；　and　beauty；　and　water　would　readily　cleanse　it　from　dust。

He　sought　Mr。　Tiffany；　who　was　enthusiastic　over　the　idea　of　making　an　example　of　his　mosaic　glass　of　such　dimensions　which　should　remain　in　this　country；　and　gladly　offered　to　co…operate。　But；　try　as　he　might；　Bok　could　not　secure　an　adequate　sketch　for　Mr。　Tiffany　to　carry　out。　Then　he　recalled　that　one　day　while　at　Maxfield　Parrish's　summer　home　in　New　Hampshire　the　artist　had　told　him　of　a　dream　garden　which　he　would　like　to　construct；　not　on　canvas　but　in　reality。　Bok　suggested　to　Parrish　that　he　come　to　New　York。　He　asked　him　if　he　could　put　his　dream　garden　on　canvas。　The　artist　thought　he　could；　in　fact；　was　greatly　attracted　to　the　idea；　but　he　knew　nothing　of　mosaic　work；　and　was　not　particularly　attracted　by　the　idea　of　having　his　work　rendered　in　that　medium。

Bok　took　Parrish　to　Mr。　Tiffany's　studio；　the　two　artists　talked　together；　the　glass…worker　showed　the　canvas…painter　his　work；　with　the　result　that　the　two　became　enthusiastic　to　co…operate　in　trying　the　experiment。　Parrish　agreed　to　make　a　sketch　for　Mr。　Tiffany's　approval；　and　within　six　months；　after　a　number　of　conferences　and　an　equal　number　of　sketches；　they　were　ready　to　begin　the　work。　Bok　only　hoped　that　this　time　both　artists　would　outlive　their　commissions！

It　was　a　huge　picture　to　be　done　in　glass　mosaic。　The　space　to　be　filled　called　for　over　a　million　pieces　of　glass；　and　for　a　year　the　services　of　thirty　of　the　most　skilled　artisans　would　be　required。　The　work　had　to　be　done　from　a　series　of　bromide　photographs　enlarged　to　a　size　hitherto　unattempted。　But　at　last　the　decoration　was　completed；　the　finished　art　piece　was　placed　on　exhibition　in　New　York　and　over　seven　thousand　persons　came　to　see　it。　The　leading　art　critics　pronounced　the　result　to　be　the　most　amazing　instance　of　the　tone　capacity　of　glass…work　ever　achieved。　It　was　a　veritable　wonder…piece；　far　exceeding　the　utmost　expression　of　paint　and　canvas。

For　six　months　a　group　of　skilled　artisans　worked　to　take　the　picture　apart　in　New　York；　transport　it　and　set　it　into　its　place　in　Philadelphia。　But　at　last　it　was　in　place：　the　wonder…picture　in　glass　of　which　painters　have　declared　that　〃mere　words　are　only　aggravating　in　describing　this　amazing　picture。〃　Since　that　day　over　one　hundred　thousand　visitors　to　the　building　have　sat　in　admiration　before　it。

The　Grove　of　Academe　was　to　become　a　Dream　Garden；　but　it　was　only　after　six　years　of　incessant　effort；　with　obstacles　and　interventions　almost　insurmountable；　that　the　dream　became　true。



XXIII。　Theodore　Roosevelt's　Influence

When　the　virile　figure　of　Theodore　Roosevelt　swung　down　the　national　highway；　Bok　was　one　of　thousands　of　young　men　who　felt　strongly　the　attraction　of　his　personality。　Colonel　Roosevelt　was　only　five　years　the　senior　of　the　editor；　he　spoke；　therefore；　as　one　of　his　own　years。　The　energy　with　which　he　said　and　did　things　appealed　to　Bok。　He　made　Americanism　something　more　real；　more　stirring　than　Bok　had　ever　felt　it；　he　explained　national　questions　in　a　way　that　caught　Bok's　fancy　and　came　within　his　comprehension。　Bok's　lines　had　been　cast　with　many　of　the　great　men　of　the　day；　but　he　felt　that　there　was　something　distinctive　about　the　personality　of　this　man：　his　method　of　doing　things　and　his　way　of　saying　things。　Bok　observed　everything　Colonel　Roosevelt　did　and　read　everything　he　wrote。

The　editor　now　sought　an　opportunity　to　know　personally　the　man　whom　he　admired。　It　came　at　a　dinner　at　the　University　Club；　and　Colonel　Roosevelt　suggested　that　they　meet　there　the　following　day　for　a　〃talk…fest。〃　For　three　hours　the　two　talked　together。　The　fact　that　Colonel　Roosevelt　was　of　Dutch　ancestry　interested　Bok；　that　Bok　was　actually　of　Dutch　birth　made　a　strong　appeal　to　the　colonel。　With　his　tremendous　breadth　of　interests；　Roosevelt；　Bok　found；　had　followed　him　quite　closely　in　his　work；　and　was　familiar　with　〃its　high　points；〃　as　he　called　them。　〃We　must　work　for　the　same　ends；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃you　in　your　way；　I　in　mine。　But　our　lines　are　bound　to　cross。　You　and　I　can　each　become　good　Americans　by　giving　our　best　to　make　America　better。　With　the　Dutch　stock　there　is　in　both　of　us；　there's　no　limit　to　what　we　can　do。　Let's　go　to　it。〃　Naturally　that　talk　left　the　two　firm　friends。

Bok　felt　somehow　that　he　had　been　given　a　new　draft　of　Americanism：　the　word　took　on　a　new　meaning　for　him；　it　stood　for　something　different；　something　deeper　and　finer　than　before。　And　every　subsequent　talk　with　Roosevelt　deepened　the　feeling　and　stirred　Bok's　deepest　ambitions。　〃Go　to　it；　you　Dutchman；〃　Roosevelt　would　say；　and　Bok　would　go　to　it。　A　talk　with　Roosevelt　always　left　him　feeling　as　if　mountains　were　the　easiest　things　in　the　world　to　move。

One　of　Theodore　Roosevelt's　arguments　which　made　a　deep　impression　upon　Bok　was　that　no　man　had　a　right　to　devote　his　entire　life　to　the　making　of　money。　〃You　are　in　a　peculiar　position；〃　said　the　man　of　Oyster　Bay　one　day　to　Bok；　〃you　are　in　that　happy　position　where　you　can　make　money　and　do　good　at　the　same　time。　A　man　wields　a　tremendous　power　for　good　or　for　evil　who　is　welcomed　into　a　million　homes　and　read　with　confidence。　That's　fine；　and　is　all　right　so　far　as　it　goes；　and　in　your　case　it　goes　very　far。　Still；　there　remains　more　for　you　to　do。　The　public　has　built　up　for　you　a　personality：　now　give　that　personality　to　whatever　interests　you　in　contact　with　your　immediate　fellowmen：　something　in　your　neighborhood；　your　city；　or　your　State。　With　one　hand　work　and　write　to　your　national　audience：　let　no　fads　sway　you。　Hew　close　to　the　line。　But；　with　the　other　hand；　swing　into　the　life　immediately　around　you。　Think　it　over。〃

Bok　did　think　it　over。　He　was　now　realizing　the　dream　of　his　life　for　which　he　had　worked：　his　means　were　sufficient　to　give　his　mother　every　comfort；　to　install　her　in　the　most　comfortable　surroundings　wherever　she　chose　to　live；　to　make　it　possible　for　her　to　spend　the　winters　in　the　United　States　and　th