THE SHORT STORY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 9

THE SHORT STORY.

-'"--. 'ire .you .a ;writer. of .short"'stories/'or, ■;■: Moll you at that ';■ diteult: : art, .for ••■ diiricu'lt is?■ :^:if ijii yoii might. : d6iw6rsq..tha'n'get a book .: -vhizh ;-l)rr iierg vEseiiiran,- the .editor of ,: ': "Lippincott's Mnga:'.iiitv'; ; has' imblislied. b.•'■'. lt;'is?'d'"practical; liand-book oil; the rise, '■ : -:' ;- . itriictpre, .".writing,- and;'.sale, "of the : - mbderii' short , Btm'y,": : is.'published: by a ■ ; -:New. ;York';house, ■.Hiuds, ,: NNoblo,,v and ■ .■■ Eldredge; vand [&- copy.comes to us across .;:;-Hhe*Atlantic.: ' : '.- r V:"f; r: •.■■■•• : ,'- : . ': ■.>> '• ;\ ..."The .short, story/': wcf-jire.- told -ht the' ■ V : .*dtset/ : "isv,tho :lineal fdescendant' of t'ie XBtory-teller.".■'; Then /ou'r-.;authority goes ..-.'■■.:.• on toi- trace, the;'gradual evolution "of;fic:S tipn',-,until;;it fjaye ,us; the.'short story : : ; '.' which ■;: to-day. \ is 'all-poiJulaV iri : Jmoricn ■ ■■':■'.:{end;grpwin;;; more. and>mbi;e 'popular' in

lingraiid.;•" : Tho .Bililo-. as 'literature has jaifegted-.ovory.suljsequent'-form of. litcra-' •turei ! : and -Dr;-'■ Esehweirif points' out tho ; debt : .wliich tho.'short story; owes'to it.- :

'.. : "Thu .Biolei"- ho.notos,. ''contains soinri 'of■'-.tho''purist 'ipaciniens'.pf.- , tales to be ioriurt -.anyivhore.; yrhethiir fliuinnt or modern.' A\ r hen" ; wo "examine the'dramatic account of :Thol'rodigal, Son" and tho idyllic'.talo' of ; 'lluth,'. wo ;must.:confess thatimodbrn art is powerless to approach theirisiniple : I'eauty' aril, jeffostiveness." V AViien.'wu.cbmo to rho. perfecters ,of tho ■ moclera •: short' storyj ' wo ccmo to A'iueri3a'n ; :»nd■ -l'reucli , ;'.writers.-.■■■'■".- •

'■■"■"ln !1819,". as -this f book- reminds us, "Irving--published 'Rip - Van - AVinkle,' generally but, not. universally admitted to'.'ba. a 'short story'rather.:than a, talo. IrilS3s, Poo produced 'Berenice,': and in "1812, .'in-r'riii , articlovon',Hawthortt's tales, ■he' implicdly claimed for.,tho.- short story tho' bright :,to bo; regarded' as : -a"-'distinct •species, '.γ-rln'; France; Merieriieo ■Xad; Balzac—and .in: a. less degree Gatier rendering.; much .tho same sernce: for the :Frcncn short story, though'' oh'sbimwhat -lines." : V.ir--France and America . begat the " modtrn ' short ■story/English. authors ;of our own day have- done:much to;polish it.- ' T.hcrc7was. Ste'venson'of the brilliant :peh. Earlier tliero.was Charles.Dickens, , 'for what is his." : "Chiistmas. Carol"; but 'aVgroat short story? '.Tho". vogue of. the short storyiowes much to Mr. Kudyard Kipling. , aiid perhaps as much to 'Mr. J. Barrie;- '-~■; '■: " ■ ::.- !■■■- ...'.;", ..:■■■";; ■:\Vr are not' to confuse! those .masters', iof jt; with people who'- write frbgments of s fiction:and.:issue thenijiin volumes'-.as .short stories.;'., The short is' not 'a :chiipV. from?.the- workshop Sof . a novelist. ;What .is it?. -/.What' sh6uld';it bo? "£;.■ . "A'snort'stbryi" Dr.' EsetTJein'describes it, : ,"is. a: brief, imaginative narrative, •unfolding, a.single predominating incident and" aisingle chief character; , it contains a.iplotiitho details: of.whicH'-are.so compressed' and the^.wbole-treatment,so organised, as-.to -produce, a :iir.gle. impres-'. sion.": J/S'-' , -: .'■•■-,. .'■ ."■ ;'■

j'Thatj'jofycourse.sis.i.whereit differs from .a":'novel'..;V.ltVp , rpduces..the "singleness of eifeptsdeniedv : ;tp;;ithe,inoveK ; ;. 3 V/.s : : .'■'■;

indturefpf ;,short as/jfqrv in-, -pjpti 'thei rpjstory-'i[plot,! , , the-' plbt.'of; mood, Those; :a're , :t!ie'.'-..main;:possible;'lines;:'o'f J :a6'tipn for a shbrtvs.tory;-'and;our?authority 'declares that if : it.;is>t6' : bet'a.rgood.;short-,stoiy..it must ißavq simplicity', plausibility, origin-; •ality,■■■clim'as,-and, l .of : course, all through, human;. interest.:. -\. /: . " ,-:.' v: ;.-

i.'Maxim > : 4 Gorky's . .".vagabond ''': .story, ."Twenty-six.and,Onej". is singled^out. as. an almost/perfect, realistic s short story. The samq: honour is done:to Mr. Euilyard Kipling's: ..''The, ;.Maii> who would be: King/'-.jas'a-.'rdmimtic'-i'story:.-', : ./••' ;.'.;•'•"''-'.'. ~ Inspiiation : for,.the .short■'; story may com 6: in'. , strange'S'.jv'aysj': as , witness. the :.case'. ; of,vone AVe are i .t6ld that'iduringv.a , ;.visit to' Eurqpo.jhe deliberatelyvthrew; .away a.'.tramcar,ticket ■fifteen; times, and each, time was required 'li/pay. his fare.' ■■ He. got .back' those: fares, .ho 7ever, ■ because .wheA.. he,: returned to 'America he' based /aistory-Npou the incident, 'and: got. five;hundred.dollars: for J; : The:: gre'at. mark-'fc ;ior. : :the '.'■'short story [in , linglandv and;. America is,';.of,'.course, .thei'niagaziiies nowadays^.. 'Most magazine readers .prefer ,it tb.:.a;'cdhtinued. .novel. ;That-• is;not uuhatural;;. for people'-havo ;nqt' : time;to romeniber for; a whole month : ]ust';whero-:;tlie..in'stalnieut ..of ■..''a-Viiovol stopped,.:;lt is. this' , encpurasement';from the magazines l .that-has-made ,the short : story : so valuable; in a commercial sense ifdr .those .'■Wiho. can! write.vit: well, ;-, : : , : :, ; ; K!;needsls trouble,-it; neetls labour, 'it needs, if you like, : geniusj.ahd in writing , it there' are 'various "Don't's" ,to: be re-: ,mcmbered:,vl)r.' Esunwein . makes a list of.; these, - and : ;Vvery^.shrewd. they ' aro,' ;as' :you will see by'.reading them over:. ■.':: .',:.' '"Don't /be. pert.: . ;^.'-'V •,.': : .'-<!'- ~ • "•>: /.,:"JJon't be; ,lengthy.:./;:: ;.,.■,■ -.'■.':■•■": '■'■■"."Don'i "-.be.;general.■;■■■■'.?'.'■•'',■■ : : ''r - : v ' ■f '■".■■':■< i : i ''■ ■ v I J .'.."JUpii't be: roundabout; '' ij;•■■:■';■ 'I •;'.'',. '■;:?.•

.;/ "Uon't -describo I'when- - suggest'■ vi ; ."l)ori'f.. , Be:-lißavy,\--prmpous;--- or too 1 serious.''.'.' :'■•• -■.( "■' ; : ■■:■' ■/■,. ■■.■.' ■■:■•.■■■.-.'. ■.-. ..-■'. ..-:■■

■' -'Don't'.tell the ..reader ' what he' can •imagine.:'.;: V. ■.:■'■:■''■■ .::;';-." /■:.".- v '■.-. .-'•.-•■ ■''■■■■:■•■

Xfi'Don'i ,bo s content 'with ,a: common'placeopening;'. -,;••-, ......y. :;-y ,-iy <,■■£■., -.■* : ;: - '■■"Doa't- think- that sincere, simplicity; is commonplace. '.'.-: ■"'.';..., ,i .. ■■-.- ,:>■]> :•: ■;'l)pn't' ; lot-the;-.intrdduction .weigh down" p,r-;oyersnadowSthe : ;stpry.'-;^ : > ; .': ...::,; -<"Don't;strike,'.cine '■not'o ; "iji the: intro-auction.'and,-another in the body of the' ;stdry;.':.;.*---;;wV\:':;-r ; ; ■■ fyV:-^-.- .■-;■.■■. '. ! .'■•■. touchfanything'.•which:- is-hotia live .wire leading.direct: to the real ■ centre oiv.the story!" v. J -W-v-; : .' - ■:-. ■•--.. :;'Now : :if do not frighten "?, u, n u.; the f v:, f iia •the..,man who. asked v 1 uncn ~,vwhether;.or' not.'he-.should get mamejl, ;why;;ybu; jmd -hotter.: '.start' and