the americanization of edward bok-第51部分

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had　he　encouraged　Mr。　Cleveland　to　publish　the　article；　he　could　have　exhausted　any　edition　he　might　have　chosen　to　print。　Times　without　number；　editors　make　such　decisions　directly　against　what　would　be　of　temporary　advantage　to　their　publications。　The　public　never　hears　of　these　incidents。

More　often　than　not　the　editor　hears　〃stories〃　that；　if　printed；　would　be　a　〃scoop〃　which　would　cause　his　publication　to　be　talked　about　from　one　end　of　the　country　to　the　other。　The　public　does　not　give　credit　to　the　editor；　particularly　of　the　modern　newspaper；　for　the　high　code　of　honor　which　constantly　actuates　him　in　his　work。　The　prevailing　notion　is　that　an　editor　prints　all　that　he　knows；　and　much　that　he　does　not　know。　Outside　of　those　in　the　inner　government　circles；　no　group　of　men；　during　the　Great　War；　had　more　information　of　a　confidential　nature　constantly　given　or　brought　to　them；　and　more　zealously　guarded　it；　than　the　editors　of　the　newspapers　of　America。　Among　no　other　set　of　professional　men　is　the　code　of　honor　so　high；　and　woe　betide　the　journalist　who；　in　the　eyes　of　his　fellow…workers；　violates；　even　in　the　slightest　degree；　that　code　of　editorial　ethics。　Public　men　know　how　true　is　this　statement；　the　public　at　large；　however；　has　not　the　first　conception　of　it。　If　it　had；　it　would　have　a　much　higher　opinion　of　its　periodicals　and　newspapers。

At　this　juncture；　Rudyard　Kipling　unconsciously　came　into　the　very　centre　of　the　suffragists'　maelstrom　of　attack　when　he　sent　Bok　his　famous　poem：　〃The　Female　of　the　Species。〃　The　suffragists　at　once　took　the　argument　in　the　poem　as　personal　to　themselves；　and　now　Kipling　got　the　full　benefit　of　their　vitriolic　abuse。　Bok　sent　a　handful　of　these　criticisms　to　Kipling；　who　was　very　gleeful　about　them。　〃I　owe　you　a　good　laugh　over　the　clippings；〃　he　wrote。　〃They　were　delightful。　But　what　a　quantity　of　spare　time　some　people　in　this　world　have　to　burn！〃

It　was　a　merry　time；　and　the　longer　it　continued　the　more　heated　were　the　attacks。　The　suffragists　now　had　a　number　of　targets；　and　they　took　each　in　turn　and　proceeded　to　riddle　it。　That　Bok　was　publishing　articles　explaining　both　sides　of　the　question；　presenting　arguments　by　the　leading　suffragists　as　well　as　known　anti…suffragists；　did　not　matter　in　the　least。　These　were　either　conveniently　overlooked；　or；　when　referred　to　at　all；　were　considered　in　the　light　of　〃sops〃　to　the　offended　women。

At　last　Bok　reached　the　stage　where　he　had　exhausted　all　the　arguments　worth　printing；　on　both　sides　of　the　question；　and　soon　the　storm　calmed　down。

It　was　always　a　matter　of　gratification　to　him　that　the　woman　who　had　most　bitterly　assailed　him　during　the　suffrage　controversy；　Anna　Howard　Shaw；　became　in　later　years　one　of　his　stanchest　friends；　and　was　an　editor　on　his　pay…roll。　When　the　United　States　entered　the　Great　War；　Bok　saw　that　Doctor　Shaw　had　undertaken　a　gigantic　task　in　promising；　as　chairman；　to　direct　the　activities　of　the　National　Council　for　Women。　He　went　to　see　her　in　Washington；　and　offered　his　help　and　that　of　the　magazine。　Doctor　Shaw；　kindliest　of　women　in　her　nature；　at　once　accepted　the　offer；　Bok　placed　the　entire　resources　of　the　magazine　and　of　its　Washington　editorial　force　at　her　disposal；　and　all　through　America's　participation　in　the　war；　she　successfully　conducted　a　monthly　department　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。

〃Such　help；〃　she　wrote　at　the　close；　〃as　you　and　your　associates　have　extended　me　and　my　co…workers；　such　unstinted　co…operation　and　such　practical　guidance　I　never　should　have　dreamed　possible。　You　made　your　magazine　a　living　force　in　our　work；　we　do　not　see　now　how　we　would　have　done　without　it。　You　came　into　our　activities　at　the　psychological　moment；　when　we　most　needed　what　you　could　give　us；　and　none　could　have　given　with　more　open　hands　and　fuller　hearts。〃

So　the　contending　forces　in　a　bitter　word…war　came　together　and　worked　together；　and　a　mutual　regard　sprang　up　between　the　woman　and　the　man　who　had　once　so　radically　differed。



XXVIII。　Going　Home　with　Kipling；　and　as　a　Lecturer

It　was　in　June；　1899；　when　Rudyard　Kipling；　after　the　loss　of　his　daughter　and　his　own　almost　fatal　illness　from　pneumonia　in　America；　sailed　for　his　English　home　on　the　White　Star　liner；　Teutonic。　The　party　consisted　of　Kipling；　his　wife；　his　father　J。　Lockwood　Kipling；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Frank　N。　Doubleday；　and　Bok。　It　was　only　at　the　last　moment　that　Bok　decided　to　join　the　party；　and　the　steamer　having　its　full　complement　of　passengers；　he　could　only　secure　one　of　the　officers'　large　rooms　on　the　upper　deck。　Owing　to　the　sensitive　condition　of　Kipling's　lungs；　it　was　not　wise　for　him　to　be　out　on　deck　except　in　the　most　favorable　weather。　The　atmosphere　of　the　smoking…room　was　forbidding；　and　as　the　rooms　of　the　rest　of　the　party　were　below　deck；　it　was　decided　to　make　Bok's　convenient　room　the　headquarters　of　the　party。　Here　they　assembled　for　the　best　part　of　each　day；　the　talk　ranged　over　literary　and　publishing　matters　of　mutual　interest；　and　Kipling　promptly　labelled　the　room　〃The　Hatchery；〃from　the　plans　and　schemes　that　were　hatched　during　these　discussions。

It　was　decided　on　the　first　day　out　that　the　party；　too　active…minded　to　remain　inert　for　any　length　of　time；　should　publish　a　daily　newspaper　to　be　written　on　large　sheets　of　paper　and　to　be　read　each　evening　to　the　group。　It　was　called　The　Teuton　Tonic；　Mr。　Doubleday　was　appointed　publisher　and　advertising　manager；　Mr。　Lockwood　Kipling　was　made　art　editor　to　embellish　the　news；　Rudyard　Kipling　was　the　star　reporter；　and　Bok　was　editor。

Kipling；　just　released　from　his　long　confinement；　like　a　boy　out　of　school；　was　the　life　of　the　partyand　when；　one　day；　he　found　a　woman　aboard　reading　a　copy　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　his　joy　knew　no　bounds；　he　turned　in　the　most　inimitable　〃copy〃　to　the　Tonic；　describing　the　woman's　feelings　as　she　read　the　different　departments　in　the　magazine。　Of　course；　Bok；　as　editor　of　the　Tonic；　promptly　pigeon…holed　the　reporter's　〃copy〃；　then　relented；　and；　in　a　fine　spirit　of　large…mindedness；　〃printed〃　Kipling's　peans　of　rapture　over　Bok's　subscriber。　The　preparation　of　the　paper　was　a　daily　joy：　it　kept　the　different　members　busy；　and　each　evening　the　copy　was　handed　to　〃the　large　circle　of　readers〃the　two　women　of　the　partyto　read　aloud。　At　the　end　of　the　sixth　day；　it　was　voted　to　〃suspend　publication；〃　and　the　daily　of　six　issues　was　unanimously　bequeathed　to　the　little　daughter　of　Mr。　Lockwood　de　Forest；　a　close　friend　of　the　Kipling　familya　choice　bit　of　Kiplingania。

One　day　it　was　decided　by　the　party　that　Bok　should　be　taught　the　game　of　poker；　and　Kipling　at　once　offered　to　be　the　instructor！　He　wrote　out　a　list　of　the　〃hands〃　for　Bok's　guidance；　which　was　placed　in　the　centre　of　the　table；　and　the　party；　augmented　by　the　women；　gathered　to　see　the　game。

A　baby　had　been　born　that　evening　in　the　steerage；　and　it　was　decided　to　inaugurate　a　small　〃jack…pot〃　for　the　benefit　of　the　mother。　All　went　well　until　about　the　fourth　hand；　when　Bok　began　to　bid　higher　than　had　been　originally　planned。　Kipling　questioned　the　beginner's　knowledge　of　the　game　and　his　tactics；　but　Bok　retorted　it　was　his　money　that　he　was　putting　into　the　pot　and　that　no　one　was　compelled　to　follow　his　bets　if　he　did　not　choose　to　do　so。　Finally；　the　jack…pot　assumed　altogether　too　large　dimensions　for　the　party；　Kipling　〃called〃　and　Bok；　true　to　the　old　idea　of　〃beginner's　luck〃　in　cards；　laid　down　a　royal　flush！　This　was　too　much；　and　poker；　with　Bok　in　it；　was　taboo　from　that　moment。　Kipling's　version　of　this　card…playing　does　not　agree　in　all　particulars　with　the　version　here　written。　〃Bok　learned　the　game　of　poker；〃　Kipling　says；　〃had　the　deck　stacked　on　him；　and　on　hearing　that　there　was　a　woman　aboard　who　read　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　insisted　on　playing　after　that　with　the　cabin…door　carefully　shut。〃　But　Kipling's　art　as　a　reporter　for　The　Tonic　was　not　as　reliable　as　the　art　of　his　more　careful　book　work。

Bok　derived　special　pleasure　on　this　trip　from　his　acquaintance　with　Father　Kipling；　as　the　party　called　him。　Rudyard　Kipling's　respect　for　his　father　was　the　tribute　of　a　loyal　son　to　a　wonderful　father。

〃What　annoys　me；〃　said　Kipling；　speaking　of　his　father　one　day；　〃is　when　the　pater　comes　to　America　to　have　him　referred　to　in　the　newspapers　as　'the　father　of　Rudyard　Kipling。'　It　is　in　India　where　they　get　the　relation　correct：　there　I　am　always　'the　son　of　Lockwood　Kipling。'〃

Father　Kipling　was；　in　every　sense；　a　choice　spirit：　gentle；　kindly；　and　of　a　most　remarkably　even　temperament。　His　knowledge　of　art；　his　wide　reading；　his　extensive　travel；　and　an　interest　in　every　phase　of　the　world's　doings；　made　him　a　rare　conversationalist；　when　inclined　to　talk；　and　an　encyclopedia　of　knowledge　as　extensive　as　it　was　accurate。　It　was　very　easy　to　grow　fond　of　Father　Kipling；　and　he　won　Bok's　affection　as　few　men　ever　did。

Father　Kipling's　conversation　was　remarkable　in　that　he　was　exceedingly　careful　of　language　and　wasted　few　words。

One　day　Kipling　and　Bok　were　engaged　in　a　discussion　of　the　Boer　problem；　which　was　then　pressing。　Father　Kipling　sat　by　listening；　but　made　no　comment　on　the　dive