Short-Stories | Page 5

their original productions. Taking these themes in turn students should be required to introduce plot incidents that complicate the simple happenings and divert the straightforward trend of the narrative. Now that the stories are well developed in their descriptions, expositions, and plot interests they should be tested for their emotional effects. Students should go through their themes, and by making the proper changes give in some cases a humorous and in others a pathetic or tragic effect. These few suggestions are given to emphasize the facts that no one conceives a story in all its details in a moment of inspiration, and that there is a way of proceeding that passes in logical gradations from the simplest to the most complex phases of story writing.
Franklin and Stevenson knew no rules for writing other than to practice incessantly on some form they wished to imitate. Hard work is the first lesson that boys and girls must learn in the art of writing, and a systematic gradation of assignments is what the teacher must provide for his students. Walter Besant gave the following rules for novel writers. Some of them may be suggestive to writers of the high school age, so the list is given in its complete form. "(1) Practice writing something original every day. (2) Cultivate the habit of observation. (3) Work regularly at certain hours. (4) Read no rubbish. (5) Aim at the formation of style. (6) Endeavor to be dramatic. (7) A great element of dramatic skill is selection. (8) Avoid the sin of writing about a character. (9) Never attempt to describe any kind of life except that with which you are familiar. (10) Learn as much as you can about men and women. (11) For the sake of forming a good natural style, and acquiring command of language, write poetry."

SHORT-STORY LIBRARY
_BOOKS FOR REFERENCE_:
_American Short-Stories_, Charles Baldwin, Longmans, Green, & Co.
_A Study of Prose Fiction_,

Chapter XII
, Bliss Perry, Houghton, Mifflin Co.
_Composition Rhetoric_, T.C. Blaisdell, American Book Co.
_Forms of Prose Literature_, J.H. Gardiner, Charles Scribner's Sons.
_Materials and Methods of Fiction_, Clayton Hamilton, The Baker and Taylor Co.
_Principles of Literary Criticism_, C.T. Winchester, The Macmillan Co.
_Short-Story Writing_, C.R. Barrett. The Baker and Taylor Co.
_Specimens of the Short-Story_, G.H. Nettleton, H. Holt & Co.
_Story-Writing and Journalism_, Sherwin Cody, Funk & Wagnalls Co.
_Talks on Writing English_, Arlo Bates, Houghton Mifflin Co.
_The Writing of the Short-Story_, L.W. Smith, D.C. Heath & Co.
_The Philosophy of the Short-Story_, Brander Matthews, Longmans, Green, & Co.
_The World's Greatest Short-Stories_, Sherwin Cody, A.C. McClurg & Co.
_The Short-Story_, Henry Canby, Henry Holt & Co.
_The Short-Story_, Evelyn May Albright, The Macmillan Co.
_The Book of the Short-Story_, Jessup and Canby, D. Appleton & Co.
_Modern Masterpieces of Short Prose Fiction_, Waite and Taylor, D. Appleton & Co.
_The Short-Story_, Brander Matthews, American Book Co.
_Writing the Short-Story_, Esenwein, Hinds, Noble & Eldredge.
_A Study of the Short-Story in English_, Henry Seidel Canby, Henry Holt & Co.

COLLECTIONS OF SHORT-STORIES:_
_American Short-Stories_, Charles S. Baldwin, Longmans, Green, & Co.
_Great Short-Stories_, 3 vols., William Patten, P.F. Collier & Son.
_Little French Masterpieces_, 6 vols. Alexander Jessup, G.P. Putnam's Sons.
_Short-Story Classics_ (American), 5 vols., William Patten, P.F. Collier & Son.
_Short-Story Classics_ (Foreign), 5 vols., William Patten, P.F. Collier & Son.
_Stories by American Authors_, 10 vols., Charles Scribner's Sons.
_Stories by English Authors_, 10 vols., Charles Scribner's Sons.
_Stories by Foreign Authors_, 10 vols., Charles Scribner's Sons.
Stories New and Old (American and English), Hamilton W. Mabie, The Macmillan Co.
_World's Greatest Short-Stories_, Sherwin Cody, A.C. McClurg & Co.
_The American Short-Story_, Elias Lieberman.

THE FATHER[1]
_By Bj?rnstjerne Bj?rnson (1838-1910)_
The man whose story is here to be told was the wealthiest and most influential person in his parish; his name was Thord ?veraas. He appeared in the priest's study one day, tall and earnest.
"I have gotten a son," said he, "and I wish to present him for baptism."
"What shall his name be?"
"Finn,--after my father."
"And the sponsors?"
They were mentioned, and proved to be the best men and women of Thord's relations in the parish.
"Is there anything else?" inquired the priest, and looked up. The peasant hesitated a little.
"I should like very much to have him baptized by himself," said he, finally.
"That is to say on a week-day?"
"Next Saturday, at twelve o'clock noon."
"Is there anything else?" inquired the priest,
"There is nothing else;" and the peasant twirled his cap, as though he were about to go.
Then the priest rose. "There is yet this, however." said he, and walking toward Thord, he took him by the hand and looked gravely into his eyes: "God grant that the child may become a blessing to you!"
One day sixteen years later, Thord stood once more in the priest's study.
"Really, you carry your age astonishingly well, Thord," said the priest; for he saw no change whatever in the man.
"That is because I have no troubles," replied Thord. To this the priest said nothing, but after a