The evening times., 1900-03-30
The Magazines of To-day.

Mr. Walter II. Page recently made the
sweeping assertion that the magazines Of
this country are dun and badly written.
As Mr. Page has himself been editor Of
az least two leading magazines. the aver
age reader may feel inclined TO enquire
whose fault it is that this sad condition
Of things exists. When Mr. Page edited
the Atlantic Monthly" he did what he
could TO cnliven that staid and respecta-
bic periodical by publishing. from time
20 time, articles abusing and ridiculiug
New England. As this magazine has been
the pet organ Of Boston thought ever
since it was started. It is possible that
the proprietors did not like this and that
the experience has made Mr.. Page nissan
thropic.
1t may be said in general that the
magazines are what the public desires
that they should be. There are so many
OF them at present. and they are Of 50
many different types. that one may find
in one or another almost any sort OF
reading he may desire. He can find scicn-
tifc articles, dissertations on religion or
current politics fiction. poetry, illustrated
accounts OF adventure and travellers cNPc-
riences. humorous paragraphs. descrip-
tions Of various phases Of modern life. ex-
uJessions Of opinions by prominent men OF
al professions. or pictures Of actresses with
press agents encomiums 20 decorate
them. just as he likes. Some OF this mass
OF literature and nOn-literature is well
written and more of il is not; but if one
weeds out the periodicals that are all il
IustratiOns and rhetoric. and others which
serve as waste-baskets for the rejected
contributions Of big publishing houses,
the best OF the various types OF magazine
afford much profit and delight II viii
also be found that the great authors OF
today are writing for these publications
with considerable regularity, and future
generations may admit that their work is
worthy OF a permanent place in literature.
II will be noted by students Of literary
history that some OF the most famous
poems and stories Of authors now dead
attracted very little attention when they
were first published.
II one compares the magazine OF today
with that Of afty years ago. either in Eng
land or America. the comparison is likely
10 result in increased respect for the au-
thors Of our own day and generation. One
may OF course. frd here and there in old
magazines contributions which have now
become classic. but the articles which fiji
MP the spaces between these gems are apt
60 be far inferior in thought and style 10
those which serve a similar purpose in our
own day. Many Of them are dull: others
are silly. most are commonplace. The
theory OF the mute inglorious Milton"
vanishes into thin air after such a study
OF old-timc literature. II becomes clear
that the Jaw OF the survival of the dttest
holds in the mental as in the physical
world
But then. as now, the magazines were
suited to the needs OF the general public.
There are always some readers so far
above the general level in taste and fas-
tidiOusness that what interests others is
to them only wearisomc and inane To
another class Of people transcendentaI
spcculations, fine poems. and the work OF
the best novelists will never appeal. What
they want is travel and adventure. light
fiction. or gossip about people who are
well known in their day. The aim Of the
editor Of the magazine then. is to supply
the demands Of his public and il he is
man who has a I'm" and discriminating
taste in literature he will try to cater to
the wants cf the most enlightened readers
so far as he can without interfering with
the rights Of others. He Will also endeav-
or to have all his poems. essays. stories.
aud papers good OF their kind That many
editors do this successfully few who are
familiar with current literature will deny
They cannot all succeed The magazines
cf the better class secure most OF the ma
terial really worth having. and the small
fry must do the best they can. But il any
one doubts that as much good writing is
done today as in any past age OF the world
he VIII do well TO go TO a library take
down a file Of old magazines, aud spend