The Detroit times., 1914-02-05
Famous Writers Fail to Agree
When Asked What is
Best Short Story
AND HERE ARE THE ONES
UPON WHICH THEY AGREED
Philadelphia Public Ledger
Reaches Unique Results
in Experiment

Question was pToSenteu pE biN ''"N
ielphiA Public Ledger 10 more IMAM =
core OF men and women on both siueS
II tho Atlantic 10 those "hoae
business ia the criticism OF books nor
o those who within university walls
ire trying 10 teach the Young iuea
low 10 write. bat TO the men ana
women who are writing or nave wiz
en- the short stories OF TINS genera
ion.
The question went "a FAR west as
he Pacific slope 20 flnd Jack LONDON
went as far east as the city OF
Rome TO And Thomas Nelson rage
went TO writer's whose stories nave
ifered as widely as the poles. II
ought out Mary Roberts Rinehart ana
v w. Jacobs. IL was presented 10
he creator OF Emma McChesney amt
O the creator OF Sherlock Holmes
AS TO the best short story-there is
one. There is no universal single
hoice.
put there isn't any best short
tory" protests Alice Brown, anft-fet
rotest is the protest that comes IN
ther words from the study at Max
bate, Dorchester You must hrst de-
ne the varieties or best. says
homas Hardy
One NAV be the best tragic short
y rory, runs the message from the man
no wrote "Iife's Little lroniesi 'he
= Their may be the best tranquility 40
nestle short story. and so on. and IN
50 YOU decide which IS best, trag'
ly, comedy. or tragicomedy, the ques-
on IL unansvCrable II seems as
Impossible 10 say which rs the best OF
aese forms OF art as to define when
the best color. or the best taste III
bod. III which everything depends on
he requirement
NO man will tell Won which is the
sst shor, story" writes Alfred Henry
evils. very nrmly. and shrewd pre-
elton is made b. Owen Wister when
= says:
"You have asked question 10
hich there Is really no answer. ana
ou know as we'll as ! do that II the
splies you are going TO receive com
de II would be amazing enough 10 be
,me historic In small way
The Two Leaders.
Mr.. Wister is quite right-and yet
ere IL no little coincidence In the
bst OF replies that have come IN re-
,onse TO the question. enough conner
nnce TO make II worth while pointing
II that whereas there may be no-best
,ort story there are decidedly some
EST short stories.
On the basis OF these replies, TWO
cries one by a Scotchman and one
an American--lead all the rest
Acause. for each OF them four wri
"a speak. Here are the two ana
ith each. the writer whose fayorit,
is.
Stevenson's "A Lodging for the
light"
Richard Harding Davis.
Alfred Henry Lewis.
Jack London.
Booth Harrington.
Harte's "Outcasts OF Poker Flat
Mr. Davis.
Wallace Irwin.
owen Johnson.
GouVerneur Morris.
"Point.blank. as you desire" is the
essage from Mr.. Harrington,
ould answer Stevenson's A Lodg
FOR the Night Probably this Is
rather popular opinion; certainly
Is an old one"
In all. ten writer's name stevenson
orjes. but II Is on this one that -four
ree-this tale OF Master FRANCOIS
lion seeking shelter on a snowy
CHIT In Paris long ago. strangely
tough. the other story IS also one OF
NV that falls silent, circuitous, IN
rminable"
Next must come those stories thai
and in second place. because, foi
ch OF them. three writer's speak.
Kfpling's The Man Who Would Be
ing"
Killings "The Brushwood Boy"
Kipilng's Without Benefit of Cler
Conrad's Heart of Darkness
O Henry's "A Municipal Report.
This Ia the KiplIng group. Thirteer
-iters speak for Rudyard kipling
ar of all his stories the favorite'
,e these three, all OF them writer
,ng ago.
r.In INV humble opinion" writes lr
a = Cobb. the best short story II
- English language is KIpling'i
he Man Who Would Be King.
other klpiing Fans"
And Mr. Davis and Mr. Morris agree
tn Mr.. t.obb. fhe other two are
- favorites OF Robert w. Chambers
names them as the best two shor
Dries England has given us. 70
~ wonderful dream story. Mrs
snehart and MIR. Morris cast th'
her votes: for the Without Beneh
Clergy" MIR. Irwin and Mary Ste"
II Cutting.
tout OF all the wealth Of o. Henry
,e writer's settle on just this one
fayorite with Mr.. Morris. MIR pa
and Montague Glass. An'
Ieart OF Darkness" ia the only Con
d story chosen. Thomas Nelso
age puts il hrst OF all; II is name'
Samuel Hopkins Adams and b
r. Davis.
.And then We come TO those storie
entioned twice in answer To Ia
sestion. These. the stories or IN
'ird place, are:
'Dickens's "A Christmas carol"
,Poe's The Gold Bug"
,Poe's The Fall OF the House
sher"
Harts's Luck OF Roaring Camp.
Cobb's THE Belled Buzzard.'
For all it's faults, James Lane A
a puts above all the rest tina
essed Dickens story. which In. th
rs just past has been read alou
/. countless English and America
NEE. Owen Johnson concurs in-th
cision. In fact, this third place lis