The courier., 1902-03-22
Prize Stories

Roses, roses, why'n buy my roses?"
And everybody loves roses. still the
loveliest flower girl can not sell enough
to keep her father from work. The
Sunday newspapers are sold with
pretty chrome copies Of paintings. The
coal-dealers, pickle and tobacco man.
ufacturers give all sorts of prizes for
a given number of coupons from pur-
chasers of their goods. Merchants of
one commodity sell their wares by CIV
ing away sOmetning that another man
makes his living by selling. In the
newspaper and magazine world it is
not the publication that gives the most
news or the best stories and essays that
attains the largest circulation. The
and circulates his offer most exten-
sively attains the largest circulation.
1t is said that the Ladies' Home Jour
nal has the largest circulation in this
country, and Munsey's Magazine is
second. Yet neither Mr.. Box nor Mr..
Munsey are distinguished editors, and
both publications are mediocre. But
Mr.. Box and Mr.. Munsey have the gift
of convincing people-a large number
Of people-that il they subscribe for
bargain.
The operation of competition, the in
crease in the number OF competitors
has developed the system of giving
prizes. The buyer does not get any
more for his money than he used to,
or than he would il the system were
not in use. He gets something he has
not asked for as an inducement for
him to buy what he wants, and the
quality of the article he desires is in
evitably affected by the cost of the
prize which is given and therefore be-
yond criticism. There must always be
a margin of profit, which is the differ
ence between the cost of production
and the selling price.
Heretofore books have sold on their
merits. Fortunately there are still
people who like to read for readings
sake. There are others who must be
coaxed. Authors and publishers need
the coy readers and thus the prize sys-
tenn has invaded storybooks.
Eleven well-know authors, Stockton,
Gable, Paul Leicester Ford, Robert
Grant, Mrs. Burton Harrison, Sarah
Orne Jewett, Bertha Runkle, Ruth Nc
Emery Stuart, Octave Thanet, Owen
Wister, and one less well-known
q, ,rfh orlo n hax
contributed the twelve stories which
have been collected and published by
Small, Maynard and Company under
the name Of ''The House Party" The
tales are supposed to be told by the
guests in a country house after pro-
longed rain has made outdoor sports
and diversions impossible. Paul Lei
cester Ford has written the introduc-
tions to and connections between the
stories. 1t is Decameron where the
stories are actually told by different
authors. The effort at Identification is
interesting and stimulates discrimina-
tion- But the stories are good enough
in themselves for a public which has
not been spoiled by prizes and bar
gains.
There can be no dispute about taste.
The anatomy Of one mans eye is like
that of another, but one man selects
a woman for her beauty whom another
man considers ugly. There are even
some people who consider the Venus
de Milo uninteresting. 1t is a fortu-
nate provision, this diversity of taste.
Otherwise there would be much more
quarreling and dueling than there is
now. The book called Sylvia in which
the publishers, Small, Maynard and Co.,
hasro xax.iufod &yx-ols-o idoal L.