the americanization of edward bok-第91部分

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ings　forth　an　idea；　but　some　dreamer　has　dreamed　it　before　him　either　in　whole　or　in　part。

Where　would　the　human　race　be　were　it　not　for　the　ideals　of　men？　It　is　idealists；　in　a　large　sense；　that　this　old　world　needs　to…day。　Its　soil　is　sadly　in　need　of　new　seed。　Washington；　in　his　day；　was　decried　as　an　idealist。　So　was　Jefferson。　It　was　commonly　remarked　of　Lincoln　that　he　was　a　〃rank　idealist。〃　Morse；　Watt；　Marconi；　Edisonall　were；　at　first；　adjudged　idealists。　We　say　of　the　League　of　Nations　that　it　is　ideal；　and　we　use　the　term　in　a　derogatory　sense。　But　that　was　exactly　what　was　said　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。　〃Insanely　ideal〃　was　the　term　used　of　it。

The　idealist；　particularly　to…day　when　there　is　so　great　need　of　him；　is　not　to　be　scoffed　at。　It　is　through　him　and　only　through　him　that　the　world　will　see　a　new　and　clear　vision　of　what　is　right。　It　is　he　who　has　the　power　of　going　out　of　himselfthat　self　in　which　too　many　are　nowadays　so　deeply　imbedded；　it　is　he　who；　in　seeking　the　ideal；　will；　through　his　own　clearer　perception　or　that　of　others；　transform　the　ideal　into　the　real。　〃Where　there　is　no　vision；　the　people　perish。〃

It　was　his　remark　that　he　retired　because　he　wanted　〃to　play〃　that　Edward　Bok's　friends　most　completely　misunderstood。　〃Play〃　in　their　minds　meant　tennis；　golf；　horseback；　polo；　travel；　etc。（curious　that　scarcely　one　mentioned　reading！）。　It　so　happens　that　no　one　enjoys　some　of　these　play…forms　more　than　Bok；　but　〃God　forbid；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　should　spend　the　rest　of　my　days　in　a　bunker　or　in　the　saddle。　In　moderation；〃　he　added；　〃yes；　most　decidedly。〃　But　the　phrase　of　〃play〃　meant　more　to　him　than　all　this。　Play　is　diversion：　exertion　of　the　mind　as　well　as　of　the　body。　There　is　such　a　thing　as　mental　play　as　well　as　physical　play。　We　ask　of　play　that　it　shall　rest；　refresh；　exhilarate。　Is　there　any　form　of　mental　activity　that　secures　all　these　ends　so　thoroughly　and　so　directly　as　doing　something　that　a　man　really　likes　to　do；　doing　it　with　all　his　heart；　all　the　time　conscious　that　he　is　helping　to　make　the　world　better　for　some　one　else？

A　man's　〃play〃　can　take　many　forms。　If　his　life　has　been　barren　of　books　or　travel；　let　him　read　or　see　the　world。　But　he　reaches　his　high　estate　by　either　of　these　roads　only　when　he　reads　or　travels　to　enrich　himself　in　order　to　give　out　what　he　gets　to　enrich　the　lives　of　others。　He　owes　it　to　himself　to　get　his　own　refreshment；　his　own　pleasure；　but　he　need　not　make　that　pure　self…indulgence。

Other　men；　more　active　in　body　and　mind；　feel　drawn　to　the　modern　arena　of　the　great　questions　that　puzzle。　It　matters　not　in　which　direction　a　man　goes　in　these　matters　any　more　than　the　length　of　a　step　matters　so　much　as　does　the　direction　in　which　the　step　is　taken。　He　should　seek　those　questions　which　engross　his　deepest　interest；　whether　literary；　musical；　artistic；　civic；　economic；　or　what　not。

Our　cities；　towns；　communities　of　all　sizes　and　kinds；　urban　and　rural；　cry　out　for　men　to　solve　their　problems。　There　is　room　and　to　spare　for　the　man　of　any　bent。　The　old　Romans　looked　forward；　on　coming　to　the　age　or　retirement；　which　was　definitely　fixed　by　rule；　to　a　rural　life；　when　they　hied　themselves　to　a　little　home　in　the　country；　had　open　house　for　their　friends；　and　〃kept　bees。〃　While　bee…keeping　is　unquestionably　interesting；　there　are　to…day　other　and　more　vital　occupations　awaiting　the　retired　American。

The　main　thing　is　to　secure　that　freedom　of　movement　that　lets　a　man　go　where　he　will　and　do　what　he　thinks　he　can　do　best；　and　prove　to　himself　and　to　others　that　the　acquirement　of　the　dollar　is　not　all　there　is　to　life。　No　man　can　realize；　until　on　awakening　some　morning　he　feels　the　exhilaration；　the　sense　of　freedom　that　comes　from　knowing　he　can　choose　his　own　doings　and　control　his　own　goings。　Time　is　of　more　value　than　money；　and　it　is　that　which　the　man　who　retires　feels　that　he　possesses。　Hamilton　Mabie　once　said；　after　his　retirement　from　an　active　editorial　position：　〃I　am　so　happy　that　the　time　has　come　when　I　elect　what　I　shall　do；〃　which　is　true；　but　then　he　added：　〃I　have　rubbed　out　the　word　'must'　from　my　vocabulary；〃　which　was　not　true。　No　man　ever　reaches　that　point。　Duty　of　some　sort　confronts　a　man　in　business　or　out　of　business；　and　duty　spells　〃must。〃　But　there　is　less　〃must〃　in　the　vocabulary　of　the　retired　man；　and　it　is　this　lessened　quantity　that　gives　the　tang　of　joy　to　the　new　day。

It　is　a　wonderful　inner　personal　satisfaction　to　reach　the　point　when　a　man　can　say：　〃I　have　enough。〃　His　soul　and　character　are　refreshed　by　it：　he　is　made　over　by　it。　He　begins　a　new　life！　he　gets　a　sense　of　a　new　joy；　he　feels；　for　the　first　time；　what　a　priceless　possession　is　that　thing　that　he　never　knew　before；　freedom。　And　if　he　seeks　that　freedom　at　the　right　time；　when　he　is　at　the　summit　of　his　years　and　powers　and　at　the　most　opportune　moment　in　his　affairs；　he　has　that　supreme　satisfaction　denied　to　so　many　men；　the　opposite　of　which　comes　home　with　such　cruel　force　to　them：　that　they　have　overstayed　their　time：　they　have　worn　out　their　welcome。

There　is　no　satisfaction　that　so　thoroughly　satisfies　as　that　of　going　while　the　going　is　good。

Still

The　friends　of　Edward　Bok　may　be　right　when　they　said　he　made　a　mistake　in　his　retirement。

However

As　Mr。　Dooley　says：　〃It's　a　good　thing；　sometimes；　to　have　people　size　ye　up　wrong；　Hinnessey：　it's　whin　they've　got　ye'er　measure　ye're　in　danger。〃

Edward　Bok's　friends　have　failed　to　get　his　measureyet！

They　still　have　to　learn　what　he　has　learned　and　is　learning　every　day：　〃the　joy；〃　as　Charles　Lamb　so　aptly　put　it　upon　his　retirement；　〃of　walking　about　and　around　instead　of　to　and　fro。〃

The　question　now　naturally　arises；　having　read　this　record　thus　far：　To　what　extent；　with　his　unusual　opportunities　of　fifty　years；　has　the　Americanization　of　Edward　Bok　gone？　How　far　is　he；　to…day；　an　American？　These　questions；　so　direct　and　personal　in　their　nature；　are　perhaps　best　answered　in　a　way　more　direct　and　personal　than　the　method　thus　far　adopted　in　this　chronicle。　We　will；　therefore；　let　Edward　Bok　answer　these　questions　for　himself；　in　closing　this　record　of　his　Americanization。



XXXVIII。　Where　America　Fell　Short　with　Me

When　I　came　to　the　United　States　as　a　lad　of　six；　the　most　needful　lesson　for　me；　as　a　boy；　was　the　necessity　for　thrift。　I　had　been　taught　in　my　home　across　the　sea　that　thrift　was　one　of　the　fundamentals　in　a　successful　life。　My　family　had　come　from　a　land　（the　Netherlands）　noted　for　its　thrift；　but　we　had　been　in　the　United　States　only　a　few　days　before　the　realization　came　home　strongly　to　my　father　and　mother　that　they　had　brought　their　children　to　a　land　of　waste。

Where　the　Dutchman　saved；　the　American　wasted。　There　was　waste；　and　the　most　prodigal　waste；　on　every　hand。　In　every　street…car　and　on　every　ferry…boat　the　floors　and　seats　were　littered　with　newspapers　that　had　been　read　and　thrown　away　or　left　behind。　If　I　went　to　a　grocery　store　to　buy　a　peck　of　potatoes；　and　a　potato　rolled　off　the　heaping　measure；　the　groceryman；　instead　of　picking　it　up；　kicked　it　into　the　gutter　for　the　wheels　of　his