Short Story Writing | Page 6

is susceptible of a high literary
polish in the hands of a master; but when attempted by a novice it is apt
to degenerate into a mess of moral platitudes.
(a) The Fable makes no attempt to disguise its didactic purpose, but
publishes it by a final labelled "Moral," which epitomizes the lesson it
conveys. In Fables the characters are often animals, endowed with all
the attributes of men. It early lost favor because of its bald didacticism,
and for the last century has been practiced only occasionally. To-day it
is used chiefly for the purpose of burlesque and satire, as in George
Ade's "Fables in Slang." Æsop is of course the immortal example of
this sort of story.
(b) The Story with a Moral attempts to sugar-coat its sermon with a
little narrative. It sticks rather closely to facts, and has a slight plot,
which shows, or is made to show, the consequences of drinking,
stealing, or some other sin. Usually it is either brutally realistic or
absurdly exaggerated; but that it can be given literary charm is proved
by Hawthorne's use of it. Maria Edgeworth is easily the "awful
example" of this class, and her stories, such as "Murad the Unlucky"
and "The Grateful Negro," are excellent illustrations of how not to
write. Many of Hawthorne's tales come under this head, especially
"Lady Eleanor's Mantle," "The Ambitious Guest," and "Miss Bullfrog."
The stories of Miss Wilkins usually have a strong moral element, but
they are better classed in a later division. (See Class IV.) Contemporary
examples of this style of writing may be found in the pages of most
Sunday School and Temperance papers.
(c) The Allegory is the only really literary form of the Moral Story, and
the only one which survives to-day. It has a strong moral purpose, but
disguises it under the pretense of a well-told story; so that it is read for
its story alone, and the reader is conscious of its lesson only when he
has finished the narrative. It usually personifies or gives concrete form
to the various virtues and vices of men. Examples: Hawthorne's "The
Birthmark," "Rappaccini's Daughter," and "Feathertop." Allegories
which deserve the name are sometimes found in current periodicals.

III. THE WEIRD STORY owes its interest to the innate love of the
supernatural or unexplainable which is a part of our complex human
nature--the same feeling which prompts a group of children to beg for
"just one more" ghost story, while they are still shaken with the terror
of the last one. It may have a definite plot in which supernatural beings
are actors; but more often it is slight in plot, but contains a careful
psychological study of some of the less pleasant emotions.
(a) The Ghost Story usually has a definite plot, in which the ghost is an
actor. The ghost may be a "really truly" apparition, manifesting itself
by the conventional methods, and remaining unexplained to the end, as
in Irving's "The Spectre Bridegroom," and Kipling's "The Phantom
'Rickshaw;" or it may prove to be the result of a superstitious mind
dwelling upon perfectly natural occurrences, as in Irving's "The Legend
of Sleepy Hollow," and Wilkins' "A Gentle Ghost." It requires art
chiefly to render it plausible; particularly in the latter case, when the
mystery must be carefully kept up until the denouement.
(b) The Fantastic Tale treats of the lighter phases of the supernatural.
Its style might be well described as whimsical, its purpose is to amuse
by means of playful fancies, and it usually exhibits a delicate humor.
The plot is slight and subordinate. Examples: Hawthorne's "A Select
Party," "The Hall of Fantasy," and "Monsieur du Miroir;" and most of
our modern fairy tales.
(c) The Study in Horror was first made popular by Poe, and he has had
almost no successful imitators. It is unhealthy and morbid, full of a
terrible charm if well done, but tawdry and disgusting if bungled. It
requires a daring imagination, a full and facile vocabulary, and a keen
sense of the ludicrous to hold these two in check. The plot is used only
to give the setting to the story. Most any of Poe's tales would serve as
an illustration, but "The Pit and the Pendulum," and "The Fall of the
House of Usher" are particularly apt. Doyle has done some work
approaching Poe's, but his are better classed as Stories of Ingenuity.
(See Class VIII.)
IV. THE CHARACTER STUDY is a short story in which the chief
interest rests in the development and exposition of human character. It

may treat of either a type or an individual. Good character delineation
is one of the surest proofs of a writer's literary ability.
(a) When the character depicted is inactive the resultant work is not
really a story. It usually