The Americanization of Edward Bok

But Fate intervened. On the day after Abbey had stretched his great canvas in Sargent's studio in London, expecting to begin his work the following…

Assured of Mrs. Abbey's willingness to have another artist take the theme of the Grove of Academe and carry it out as a mural decoration, Bok…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

When the virile figure of Theodore Roosevelt swung down the national highway, Bok was one of thousands of young men who felt strongly the…

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…

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…

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…

He had now turned instinctively to the making of a home for himself. After an engagement of four years he had been married, on October 22, 1896, to…

At the age of forty he tried to look ahead and plan out his life as far as he could. Barring unforeseen obstacles, he determined to retire from…

The wide public acceptance of the periodical which he edited naturally brought a share of financial success to him. He had experienced poverty, and…

The second essential--varied interests outside of his business upon which he could rely on relinquishing his duties--he had not cultivated. He had…

He saw, on every side, the pathetic figures of men who could not let go after their greatest usefulness was past; of other men who dropped before…

Bok decided that, given health and mental freshness, he would say good-by to his public before his public might decide to say good-by to him. So,…

"You may think so," was the rejoinder. "But listen. When do I get the ear of the public? In its busiest moments. My messages are printed in the…

"You recognize that women do not read your messages; and yet no President's messages ever discussed more ethical questions that women should know…

"But why couldn't you find time to do this: select the writer here in Washington in whose accuracy you have the most implicit faith; let him talk…

"What?" answered the President, sitting upright, his teeth flashing but his smile broadening. "You Dutchman, you'd make me work while I'm getting…

And so the "shaving interviews" were begun; and early in 1906 there appeared in The Ladies' Home Journal a department called "The President," with…

O'Brien talked with Mr. Roosevelt once a month, wrote out the results, the President went over the proofs carefully, and the department was conducted…

But Theodore Roosevelt was again to be the editor of a department in The Ladies' Home Journal; this time to be written by himself under the strictest…

Feeling that it would be an interesting experiment to see how far Theodore Roosevelt's ideas could stand unsupported by the authority of his…

"Easily enough," answered Bok, "if you're willing to do the work. Our letters about it must be written in long hand addressed to each other's homes;…

"All right," wrote the colonel finally. "I'll try--with you!--the experiment for a year: 12 articles... I don't know that I can give your readers…

The physical work was great. The colonel punctiliously held to the conditions, and wrote manuscript and letters with his own hand, and Bok carried…

It was natural that the appearance of a department devoted to men in a woman's magazine should attract immediate attention. The department took up…

The anonymity of the articles soon took on interest from the positiveness of the opinions discussed; but so thoroughly had Colonel Roosevelt…

For a year, the department continued. During all that time the secret of the authorship was known to only one man, besides the colonel and Bok, and…

"Now that the work is over, I wish most cordially to thank you, my dear fellow, for your unvarying courtesy and kindness. I have not been satisfied…

In the meanwhile, Bok had arranged with Colonel Roosevelt for his reading and advising upon manuscripts of special significance for the magazine.…

On one occasion Bok sent him a manuscript which he was sure was, in its views, at variance with the colonel's beliefs. The colonel, he knew, felt…

This is a really noteworth story--a profoundly touching story--of the Americanizing of an immigrant girl, who between babyhood and young womanhood…

Not long after, Bok decided to induce Colonel Roosevelt to embark upon an entirely new activity, and negotiations were begun (alas, too late! for…

"That's another matter; quite another matter. How about the organization itself? There are men in it that don't approve of me at all, you know," he…

Bok explained that the organization knew nothing of his offer; that it was entirely unofficial. It was purely a personal thought. He believed the Boy…

At first, the colonel could not see it. But he went over the ground as thoroughly as a half-hour talk permitted; and finally the opportunity for…

One of the incidents connected with Edward Bok that Theodore Roosevelt never forgot was when Bok's eldest boy chose the colonel as a Christmas…

"That's pretty fine consideration," said the father. He got the letter during a business conference and he read it aloud to the group of business men…

Then came the boy's pleasure when he was handed the letter; the next few days were spent inditing an answer to "my friend, the President." At last…

The "soon as he could" time, however, did not come as quickly as all had hoped!--a little heart pumped for days full of oxygen and accelerated by…

The boy's cup was now full, and so said his letter to the President. And the President wrote back to the father: "I am really immensely amused and…

In the spring, on a beautiful May day, came the great moment. The mother had to go along, the boy insisted, to see the great event, and so the trio…

"Oh, the President is looking for you, all right," he said to the boy, and then the next moment the three were in a large room. Mr. Roosevelt, with…

"No, sir; no, sir; not at all. Affairs can wait. This is a long-standing engagement between Curtis and me, and that must come first. Isn't that so,…

"No," replied the smiling President. "I'll tell you, Curtis; I'm too busy to think about that. I have too many things to do to bother about…

Just in that moment only did the boy-knowing President get a single inch above the boy-interest. It was astonishing to see the natural accuracy…

Then, after a little: "Now, Curtis, see those men over there in that room. They've travelled from all parts of the country to come here at my…

His complete absorption in the magazine work now compelled Bok to close his newspaper syndicate in New York and end the writing of his weekly…

Now, the truth is, of course, that there are no "literary back-stairs" to the editorial office of the modern magazine. There cannot be. The making of…

The "best," while it means good writing, means also that it shall say something. The most desired writer in the magazine office is the man who has…

Hence, if the editor is more keenly alert for one thing than for another, it is for the new writer. The frequency of the new note in his magazine…

With an editor ever alive to the new message, the new note, the fresh way of saying a thing, the new angle on a current subject, whether in article…

The most successful authors have "broken into" the magazines very often without even a letter accompanying their first manuscript. The name and…