the americanization of edward bok-第62章

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lthough；　this　time；　he　was　to　win。

During　his　investigations　into　women's　fashions；　he　had　unearthed　the　origin　of　the　fashionable　aigrette；　the　most　desired　of　all　the　feathered　possessions　of　womankind。　He　had　been　told　of　the　cruel　torture　of　the　mother…heron；　who　produced　the　beautiful　aigrette　only　in　her　period　of　maternity　and　who　was　cruelly　slaughtered；　usually　left　to　die　slowly　rather　than　killed；　leaving　her　whole　nest　of　baby…birds　to　starve　while　they　awaited　the　return　of　the　mother…bird。

Bok　was　shown　the　most　heart…rending　photographs　portraying　the　butchery　of　the　mother　and　the　starvation　of　her　little　ones。　He　collected　all　the　photographs　that　he　could　secure；　had　the　most　graphic　text　written　to　them；　and　began　their　publication。　He　felt　certain　that　the　mere　publication　of　the　frightfully　convincing　photographs　would　be　enough　to　arouse　the　mother…instinct　in　every　woman　and　stop　the　wearing　of　the　so…highly　prized　feather。　But　for　the　second　time　in　his　attempt　to　reform　the　feminine　nature　he　reckoned　beside　the　mark。

He　published　a　succession　of　pages　showing　the　frightful　cost　at　which　the　aigrette　was　secured。　There　was　no　challenging　the　actual　facts　as　shown　by　the　photographic　lens：　the　slaughter　of　the　mother…bird；　and　the　starving　baby…birds；　and　the　importers　of　the　feather　wisely　remained　quiet；　not　attempting　to　answer　Bok's　accusations。　Letters　poured　in　upon　the　editor　from　Audubon　Society　workers；　from　lovers　of　birds；　and　from　women　filled　with　the　humanitarian　instinct。　But　Bok　knew　that　the　answer　was　not　with　those　few：　the　solution　lay　with　the　larger　circle　of　American　womanhood　from　which　he　did　not　hear。

He　waited　for　results。　They　came。　But　they　were　not　those　for　which　he　had　striven。　After　four　months　of　his　campaign；　he　learned　from　the　inside　of　the　importing…houses　which　dealt　in　the　largest　stocks　of　aigrettes　in　the　United　States　that　the　demand　for　the　feather　had　more　than　quadrupled！　Bok　was　dumbfounded！　He　made　inquiries　in　certain　channels　from　which　he　knew　he　could　secure　the　most　reliable　information；　and　after　all　the　importers　had　been　interviewed；　the　conviction　was　unescapable　that　just　in　proportion　as　Bok　had　dwelt　upon　the　desirability　of　the　aigrette　as　the　hallmark　of　wealth　and　fashion；　upon　its　expense；　and　the　fact　that　women　regarded　it　as　the　last　word　in　feminine　adornment；　he　had　by　so　much　made　these　facts　familiar　to　thousands　of　women　who　had　never　before　known　of　them；　and　had　created　the　desire　to　own　one　of　the　precious　feathers。

Bok　could　not　and　would　not　accept　these　conclusions。　It　seemed　to　him　incredible　that　women　would　go　so　far　as　this　in　the　question　of　personal　adornment。　He　caused　the　increased　sales　to　be　traced　from　wholesaler　to　retailer；　and　from　retailer　to　customer；　and　was　amazed　at　the　character　and　standing　of　the　latter。　He　had　a　number　of　those　buyers　who　lived　in　adjacent　cities；　privately　approached　and　interviewed；　and　ascertained　that；　save　in　two　instances；　they　were　all　his　readers；　had　seen　the　gruesome　pictures　he　had　presented；　and　then　had　deliberately　purchased　the　coveted　aigrette。

Personally　again　he　sought　the　most　intelligent　of　his　woman…friends；　talked　with　scores　of　others；　and　found　himself　facing　the　same　trait　in　feminine　nature　which　he　had　encountered　in　his　advocacy　of　American　fashions。　But　this　time　it　seemed　to　Bok　that　the　facts　he　had　presented　went　so　much　deeper。

〃It　will　be　hard　for　you　to　believe；〃　said　one　of　his　most　trusted　woman…friends。　〃I　grant　your　arguments：　there　is　no　gainsaying　them。　But　you　are　fighting　the　same　thing　again　that　you　do　not　understand：　the　feminine　nature　that　craves　outer　adornment　will　secure　it　at　any　cost；　even　at　the　cost　of　suffering。〃

〃Yes；〃　argued　Bok。　〃But　if　there　is　one　thing　above　everything　else　that　we　believe　a　woman　feels　and　understands；　it　is　the　mother…instinct。　Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　it　means　nothing　to　her　that　these　birds　are　killed　in　their　period　of　motherhood；　and　that　a　whole　nest　of　starving　baby…birds　is　the　price　of　every　aigrette？〃

〃I　won't　say　that　this　does　not　weigh　with　a　woman。　It　does；　naturally。　But　when　it　comes　to　her　possession　of　an　ornament　of　beauty；　as　beautiful　as　the　aigrette；　it　weighs　with　her；　but　it　doesn't　tip　the　scale　against　her　possession　of　it。　I　am　sorry　to　have　to　say　this　to　you；　but　it　is　a　fact。　A　woman　will　regret　that　the　mother…bird　must　be　tortured　and　her　babies　starve；　but　she　will　have　the　aigrette。　She　simply　trains　herself　to　forget　the　origin。

〃Take　my　own　case。　You　will　doubtless　be　shocked　when　I　tell　you　that　I　was　perfectly　aware　of　the　conditions　under　which　the　aigrette　is　obtained　before　you　began　your　exposure　of　the　method。　But　did　it　prevent　my　purchase　of　one？　Not　at　all。　Why？　Because　I　am　a　woman：　I　realize　that　no　head　ornament　will　set　off　my　hair　so　well　as　an　aigrette。　Say　I　am　cruel　if　you　like。　I　wish　the　heron…mother　didn't　have　to　be　killed　or　the　babies　starve；　but；　Mr。　Bok；　I　must　have　my　beautiful　aigrette！〃

Bok　was　frankly　astounded：　he　had　certainly　probed　deep　this　time　into　the　feminine　nature。　With　every　desire　and　instinct　to　disbelieve　the　facts；　the　deeper　his　inquiries　went；　the　stronger　the　evidence　rolled　up：　there　was　no　gainsaying　it；　no　sense　in　a　further　disbelief　of　it。

But　Bok　was　determined　that　this　time　he　would　not　fail。　His　sense　of　justice　and　protection　to　the　mother…bird　and　her　young　was　now　fully　aroused。　He　resolved　that　he　would；　by　compulsion；　bring　about　what　he　had　failed　to　do　by　persuasion。　He　would　make　it　impossible　for　women　to　be　untrue　to　their　most　sacred　instinct。　He　sought　legal　talent；　had　a　bill　drawn　up　making　it　a　misdemeanor　to　import；　sell；　purchase；　or　wear　an　aigrette。　Armed　with　this　measure；　and　the　photographs　and　articles　which　he　had　published；　he　sought　and　obtained　the　interest　and　promise　of　support　of　the　most　influential　legislators　in　several　States。　He　felt　a　sense　of　pride　in　his　own　sex　that　he　had　no　trouble　in　winning　the　immediate　interest　of　every　legislator　with　whom　he　talked。

Where　he　had　failed　with　women；　he　was　succeeding　with　men！　The　outrageous　butchery　of　the　birds　and　the　circumstances　under　which　they　were　tortured　appealed　with　direct　force　to　the　sporting　instinct　in　every　man；　and　aroused　him。　Bok　explained　to　each　that　he　need　expect　no　support　for　such　a　measure　from　women　save　from　the　members　of　the　Audubon　Societies；　and　a　few　humanitarian　women　and　bird…lovers。　Women；　as　a　whole；　he　argued　from　his　experiences；　while　they　would　not　go　so　far　as　openly　to　oppose　such　a　measure；　for　fear　of　public　comment；　would　do　nothing　to　further　its　passage；　for　in　their　hearts　they　preferred　failure　to　success　for　the　legislation。　They　had　frankly　told　him　so：　he　was　not　speaking　from　theory。

In　one　State　after　another　Bok　got　into　touch　with　legislators。　He　counselled；　in　each　case；　a　quiet　passage　for　the　measure　instead　of　one　that　would　draw　public　attention　to　it。

Meanwhile；　a　strong　initiative　had　come　from　the　Audubon　Societies　throughout　the　country；　and　from　the　National　Association　of　Audubon　Societies；　at　New　York。　This　latter　society　also　caused　to　be　introduced　bills　of　its　own　to　the　same　and　in　various　legislatures；　and　here　Bok　had　a　valuable　ally。　It　was　a　curious　fact　that　the　Audubon　officials　encountered　their　strongest　resistance　in　Bok's　own　State：　Pennsylvania。　But　Bok's　personal　acquaintance　with　legislators　in　his　Keystone　State　helped　here　materially。

The　demand　for　the　aigrette　constantly　increased　and　rose　to　hitherto　unknown　figures。　In　one　State　where　Bok's　measure　was　pending　before　the　legislature；　he　heard　of　the　coming　of　an　unusually　large　shipment　of　aigrettes　to　meet　this　increased　demand。　He　wired　the　legislator　in　charge　of　the　measure　apprising　him　of　this　fact；　of　what　he　intended　to　do；　and　urging　speed　in　securing　the　passage　of　the　bill。　Then　he　caused　the　shipment　to　be　seized　at　the　dock　on　the　ground　of　illegal　importation。

The　importing　firm　at　once　secured　an　injunction　restraining　the　seizure。　Bok　replied　by　serving　a　writ　setting　the　injunction　aside。　The　lawyers　of　the　importers　got　busy；　of　cours