the americanization of edward bok-第30章

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was　then　editing　it；　and　he　fixed　upon　the　writer　of　Literary　Leaves　as　his　man。　He　came　to　New　York；　consulted　Will　Carleton；　the　poet；　and　found　that　while　the　letter　was　signed　by　William　J。　Bok；　it　was　actually　written　by　his　brother　who　was　with　the　Scribners。　So　he　sought　Bok　out　there。

The　publishing　house　had　been　advertising　in　the　Philadelphia　magazine；　so　that　the　visit　of　Mr。　Curtis　was　not　an　occasion　for　surprise。　Mr。　Curtis　told　Bok　he　had　read　his　literary　letter　in　the　Philadelphia　Times；　and　suggested　that　perhaps　he　might　write　a　similar　department　for　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。　Bok　saw　no　reason　why　he　should　not；　and　told　Mr。　Curtis　so；　and　promised　to　send　over　a　trial　installment。　The　Philadelphia　publisher　then　deftly　went　on；　explained　editorial　conditions　in　his　magazine；　and；　recognizing　the　ethics　of　the　occasion　by　not　offering　Bok　another　position　while　he　was　already　occupying　one；　asked　him　if　he　knew　the　man　for　the　place。

〃Are　you　talking　at　me　or　through　me？〃　asked　Bok。

〃Both；〃　replied　Mr。　Curtis。

This　was　in　April　of　1889。

Bok　promised　Mr。　Curtis　he　would　look　over　the　field；　and　meanwhile　he　sent　over　to　Philadelphia　the　promised　trial　〃literary　gossip〃　installment。　It　pleased　Mr。　Curtis；　who　suggested　a　monthly　department；　to　which　Bok　consented。　He　also　turned　over　in　his　mind　the　wisdom　of　interrupting　his　line　of　progress　with　the　Scribners；　and　in　New　York；　and　began　to　contemplate　the　possibilities　in　Philadelphia　and　the　work　there。

He　gathered　a　collection　of　domestic　magazines　then　published；　and　looked　them　over　to　see　what　was　already　in　the　field。　Then　he　began　to　study　himself；　his　capacity　for　the　work；　and　the　possibility　of　finding　it　congenial。　He　realized　that　it　was　absolutely　foreign　to　his　Scribner　work：　that　it　meant　a　radical　departure。　But　his　work　with　his　newspaper　syndicate　naturally　occurred　to　him；　and　he　studied　it　with　a　view　of　its　adaptation　to　the　field　of　the　Philadelphia　magazine。

His　next　step　was　to　take　into　his　confidence　two　or　three　friends　whose　judgment　he　trusted　and　discuss　the　possible　change。　Without　an　exception；　they　advised　against　it。　The　periodical　had　no　standing；　they　argued；　Bok　would　be　out　of　sympathy　with　its　general　atmosphere　after　his　Scribner　environment；　he　was　now　in　the　direct　line　of　progress　in　New　York　publishing　houses；　and；　to　cap　the　climax；　they　each　argued　in　turn；　he　would　be　buried　in　Philadelphia：　New　York　was　the　centre；　etc。；　etc。

More　than　any　other　single　argument；　this　last　point　destroyed　Bok's　faith　in　the　judgment　of　his　friends。　He　had　had　experience　enough　to　realize　that　a　man　could　not　be　buried　in　any　city；　provided　he　had　the　ability　to　stand　out　from　his　fellow…men。　He　knew　from　his　biographical　reading　that　cream　will　rise　to　the　surface　anywhere；　in　Philadelphia　as　well　as　in　New　York：　it　all　depended　on　whether　the　cream　was　there：　it　was　up　to　the　man。　Had　he　within　him　that　peculiar；　subtle　something　that；　for　the　want　of　a　better　phrase；　we　call　the　editorial　instinct？　That　was　all　there　was　to　it；　and　that　decision　had　to　be　his　and　his　alone！

A　business　trip　for　the　Scribners　now　calling　him　West；　Bok　decided　to　stop　at　Philadelphia；　have　a　talk　with　Mr。　Curtis；　and　look　over　his　business　plant。　He　did　this；　and　found　Mr。　Curtis　even　more　desirous　than　before　to　have　him　consider　the　position。　Bok's　instinct　was　strongly　in　favor　of　an　acceptance。　A　natural　impulse　moved　him；　without　reasoning；　to　action。　Reasoning　led　only　to　a　cautious　mental　state；　and　caution　is　a　strong　factor　in　the　Dutch　character。　The　longer　he　pursued　a　conscious　process　of　reasoning；　the　farther　he　got　from　the　position。　But　the　instinct　remained　strong。

On　his　way　back　from　the　West；　he　stopped　in　Philadelphia　again　to　consult　his　friend；　George　W。　Childs；　and　here　he　found　the　only　person　who　was　ready　to　encourage　him　to　make　the　change。

Bok　now　laid　the　matter　before　his　mother；　in　whose　feminine　instinct　he　had　supreme　confidence。　With　her；　he　met　with　instant　discouragement。　But　in　subsequent　talks　he　found　that　her　opposition　was　based　not　upon　the　possibilities　inherent　in　the　position；　but　on　a　mother's　natural　disinclination　to　be　separated　from　one　of　her　sons。　In　the　case　of　Fanny　Davenport's　offer　the　mother's　instinct　was　strong　against　the　proposition　itself。　But　in　the　present　instance　it　was　the　mother's　love　that　was　speaking；　not　her　instinct　or　judgment。

Bok　now　consulted　his　business　associates；　and；　to　a　man；　they　discouraged　the　step；　but　almost　invariably　upon　the　argument　that　it　was　suicidal　to　leave　New　York。　He　had　now　a　glimpse　of　the　truth　that　there　is　no　man　so　provincially　narrow　as　the　untravelled　New　Yorker　who　believes　in　his　heart　that　the　sun　rises　in　the　East　River　and　sets　in　the　North　River。

He　realized　more　keenly　than　ever　before　that　the　decision　rested　with　him　alone。　On　September　1；　1889；　Bok　wrote　to　Mr。　Curtis；　accepting　the　position　in　Philadelphia；　and　on　October　13　following　he　left　the　Scribners；　where　he　had　been　so　fortunate　and　so　happy；　and；　after　a　week's　vacation；　followed　where　his　instinct　so　strongly　led；　but　where　his　reason　wavered。

On　October　20；　1889；　Edward　Bok　became　the　editor　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal。



XV。　Successful　Editorship

There　is　a　popular　notion　that　the　editor　of　a　woman's　magazine　should　be　a　woman。　At　first　thought；　perhaps；　this　sounds　logical。　But　it　is　a　curious　fact　that　by　far　the　larger　number　of　periodicals　for　women；　the　world　over；　are　edited　by　men；　and　where；　as　in　some　cases；　a　woman　is　the　proclaimed　editor；　the　direction　of　the　editorial　policy　is　generally　in　the　hands　of　a　man；　or　group　of　men；　in　the　background。　Why　this　is　so　has　never　been　explained；　any　more　than　why　the　majority　of　women's　dressmakers　are　men；　why　music；　with　its　larger　appeal　to　women；　has　been　and　is　still　being　composed；　largely；　by　men；　and　why　its　greatest　instrumental　performers　are　likewise　men；　and　why　the　church；　with　its　larger　membership　of　women；　still　has；　as　it　always　has　had；　men　for　its　greatest　preachers。

In　fact；　we　may　well　ponder　whether　the　full　editorial　authority　and　direction　of　a　modern　magazine；　either　essentially　feminine　in　its　appeal　or　not；　can　safely　be　entrusted　to　a　woman　when　one　considers　how　largely　executive　is　the　nature　of　such　a　position；　and　how　thoroughly　sensitive　the　modern　editor　must　be　to　the　hundred　and　one　practical　business　matters　which　today　enter　into　and　form　so　large　a　part　of　the　editorial　duties。　We　may　question　whether　women　have　as　yet　had　sufficient　experience　in　the　world　of　business　to　cope　successfully　with　the　material　questions　of　a　pivotal　editorial　position。　Then；　again；　it　is　absolutely　essential　in　the　conduct　of　a　magazine　with　a　feminine　or　home　appeal　to　have　on　the　editorial　staff　women　who　are　experts　in　their　line；　and　the　truth　is　that　women　will　work　infinitely　better　under　the　direction　of　a　man　than　of　a　woman。

It　would　seem　from　the　present　outlook　that；　for　some　time；　at　least；　the　so…called　woman's　magazine　of　large　purpose　and　wide　vision　is　very　likely　to　be　edited　by　a　man。　It　is　a　question；　however；　whether　the　day　of　the　woman's　magazine；　as　we　have　known　it；　is　not　passing。　Already　the　day　has　gone　for　the　woman's　magazine　built　on　the　old　lines　which　now　seem　so　grotesque　and　feeble　in　the　light　of　modern　growth。　The　interests　of　women　and　of　men　are　being　brought　closer　with　the　years；　and　it　will　not　be　long　before　they　will　entirely　merge。　This　means　a　constantly　diminishing　necessity　for　the　distinctly　feminine　magazine。

Naturally；　there　will　always　be　a　field　in　the　essentially　feminine　pursuits　which　have　no　place　in　the　life　of　a　man；　but　these　are　rapidly　being　cared　for　by　books；　gratuitously　distributed；　issued　by　the　manufacturers　of　distinctly　feminine　and　domestic　wares；　for　such　publications　the　best　talent　is　being　employed；　and　the　results　are　placed　within　easy　access　of　women；　by　means　of　newspaper　advertisement；　the　store…counter；　or　the　mails。　These　will　sooner　or　laterand　much　sooner　than　latersupplant　the　practical　portions　of　the　woman's　magazine；　leaving　only　the　general　contents；　which