Fortunately the linguistic gift inherent in the Dutch race came to Edward’s rescue in his attempt to master the English language.  He soon noted many points of similarity between English and his native tongue; by changing a vowel here and there he could make a familiar Dutch word into a correct English word.  As both languages had developed from the old Frisian tongue, the conquest of English did not prove as difficult as he had expected.  At all events, he set out to master it.

[Illustration:  Edward Bok at the age of six, upon his arrival in the United States.]

Edward was now confronted by a three-cornered problem.  Like all healthy boys of his age he was fond of play and eager to join the boys of his neighborhood in their pastimes after school hours.  He also wanted to help his mother, which meant the washing of dishes, cleaning the rooms in which the family then lived, and running various errands for the needed household supplies.  Then, too, he was not progressing as rapidly as he wished with his school studies, and he felt that he ought to do everything in his power to take advantage of his opportunity to get an education.

Methodically he worked out a plan which made it possible to accomplish all three objects.  He planned that on one afternoon he should go directly home from school to help his mother, and as soon as he had finished the necessary chores that would make her life easier he would be free to go out and play for the rest of that afternoon.  On the following day he would remain in school for an extra hour after the class had been dismissed and would get the teacher’s help on any lessons that were not clear to him.  When that task had been accomplished he would still have part of that afternoon left for play.  He broached his plan for work at home and study at school on alternate afternoons to his mother and his teacher.  Both approved of the idea and agreed that it had been well thought out.

Thus Edward Bok learned early in life the valuable lesson of a wise management of time.  Instead of attempting to accomplish various results in some haphazard fashion, he planned to do only one thing at a time, yet his plan was so comprehensive that it provided for the necessary housework, study, and play—­the three things that he wanted to do and felt he should do.

As his evenings were also devoted to various tasks and duties, this young American-to-be, by using each bit of spare time for some useful purpose, became early in life the busy person that he has remained to the present day.  Of Edward Bok it may truly be said that he began to work, and to work hard, almost from the day he set foot on American soil.  He has since realized that this is not the best thing for a young boy, who should have liberal time for play in his life.  Of course, Edward made the most of the short period that remained each afternoon after his household duties or his extra studies at school, and when he played it was with the same vim and energy with which he worked.  He had little choice in the matter, but he often regrets to-day that he did not have more time in his boyhood for play.