The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-17
n, HENRY JAMES FORMAN.

Now and then appears a brilliant man
like Melville pavisson Post, who. in
fash Of genius by a miracle of asscca-
ton. succeeds In connecting even the
modern magazine short story with Ars-
totlc. And Aristotle responsible for so
much in this world. can stand that too.
lie was the dddCtic editor person OF
his day. but even he never dreamed OF
the modern short story. Yet who will
deny that u certain amount OF plot is
stjll the essential vehicle for popular
fiction And even a crcaknG vehicle
is often better than none, particularly
where the load is heavy. Upon that
there can he no disagreement. and II is
with tn" beginner that the load ~ hesyi
est. IN. other day I ran across Irwin
cobb al the Grand Cany on. And even
III that remote point Mr.. Posts thesis
vas under discussion. Mr.. coth's no.
tioI was that Young writers go in al
most entirely for description and what
they call characterization with never y
thought or plot. The upshot Is that they
are no, read. In the end they must &C
puirc IiI" simple carpentry that con-
streets 'hc vehcl" and. in keeping with
their skill They travel either far. or
not very far
But ior all that sir Post, 10 my mind.
has stated considerable loss than half
the case. ! know Of writer who is
skilled IN plot as Mr.. Post himself.
which is high praise. 'ir, Post is, I
am certain. familiar with his work Well
ihdt Nrit-r psnued a sto,', "f = muir
dor committed by ono Of TWO who are
noNt Of t'u. The setting Has among
the English srstOcraoy. Who commit
tel the murder" He who fc'l heir or
the ueN' i'm line Of succession \ bril-
liant detective solves the mystery. But
50 null and wooden were the figures
moving, or rather being moved. through
the story that tn" readers interest In
Il was torpid as a alternating snake,
Few magazines even Of the popular
sort ~ which the story was aimed.
would have cared to present II 10 those
lts' number Of readers who are sup
posed to yesrn for plot as maiden
Hcarns for the maAixe. or for r. w,
rhauhers The writer then rccast his
tory in another atmosphere. with char
d"ters little moro human. In post
Revolutionary America. and tho story
finally made it's appearance in p popu-
,ar magazine not of the first order. The
plot WIS indub,tsblv of the most skilful,
tho fiction as whole Of the least alb
sorbing.
l'pon tho Other hand, storiea like those
81 sherlock Holmes are 4 household
word throughout the globe, Why? Be
cause sherlock Holmes WAS primarily
human being, east in tho human mould
bv ono Who Is indeed 4 master Of plot.
hat by ono who was wise enough or for
tunate FIRST Of all to write about human
beings. not about mannikns. The case
pf bovlc, however. Is lot the happest
choice for my point He, after all, u.s. in
Mr Posts sense, pretty much of an
Aristotel4n thouIh he doesn't know
III. But elaucc for p moment else
where Who remembers tho plots Of all
tho Dickens stories that have enjoyed
more than half a century of popularity"
Who remembers the plot of The New
comca"" of "Namty FAIR OF PEN
dcruis"? Have they any plots I
scarcely remember. But not one OF their
characters has escaped u.s. I'll warrant.
All are prepared tn emerge from our
deepest CONSEQUENCES. where they have
Ioug been dodgers
Nevertheless Mr.. Post u.s. to my think
ing, right in demanding a certain
amount Of plot from people aiming At
tho popular magazines. As We have
said. 4 creakinS vehicle. for some con-
stitutious, Is better than none. Many
robust personality, however. would
/ rather walk than ride where the riding
| is poor. But then again many would
| ride must ride. at any cost
/ But | could modestly advance that Of
! far greater Importance than an elab-
| crate plot 10 o story is the Indispensable
| requisite OF sympathy. In almost its
| original Greek sense, Of intense feeling
| for and with tho characters, For look,
! If YOU please, At what has happened TO
| those two great artists, Flaubert and
| Maupassant, to mention no one else Of
| their school Fine artists they doubtless
WERE among tho most skilled observers
! Of life that literature has ever produced
Yet they are but little read to-day. And,
except for those who have their land
particularly Maupassant's) erotic inter
est ut heart. they will he read less,
! Surely a strange fate for those who a
few years ago were counted AZ the
supreme masters Of their art Why this
/ dehaCle"
tn s;a'p!- rc1sor is Tia. they rousy
rsdiIy Iik'd dnybody
Read tlauberts hooks or tho tales
Of Maupassant You seldom md any