New-York tribune., 1918-11-10
BY Edward J.. O'Brien

copyright, 1918, New York Tribune Inc.)
nNHE sixty short stories, published in
the American magazines during 1918,
which shall discuss in this ar
ticlc arc chosen from 3 larger group
!, about one hundred and twenty stories,
usose literary excellence justified ME in in
.,udog then, in my annual "Roll Of Honor"
The stories which were included in this Roll
..popor have been chosen from the stories
.rb,ished in seventy-four American period
:,.,s during the first ten months Of 1918.
IN selecting them, have sought to accept
80 authors point Of view and manner OF
4,s.,mcnt, and to measure simply his degree
i success in accomplishing what he set
~, TO achieve. 7 have permitted 10 per-
anal preference or prejudice to influence
my mind consciously for or against a story.
gut must confess that it has been difficult
10 eliminate personal admiration completely
IN the further winnowins which has resulted
in this selection of sixty stories. Below
are set forth the particular qualities which
have seemed to me to justify in each case
ne inclusion of q story in the list.
"a Simple, Act Of piety,". by Achmed
Abdullah (Thc "All-Story Weekly"}. To
those who enjoyed last year Thomas Burke's
"Lmehouse Nights" the series OF Pell
Street stories which Captain Abdullah is
publishing in the Century Magazine" ,"'"Col-
lsrs Weekly" and the "All-Story Weekly"
viii be welcome. TO vivid sense Of color and
an economy Of dramatic situation, "a Simple
Act Of Piety," which is the best Of these
stories, adds fine appreciation OF the Ori-
entail point OF view. The characterization
IS almost subjective it is so real, and the
story is fine crystallization of the poetry
Inherent in New York Chinatown life.
"The Man of IDEAS" BY Sherwood An
d,lson r"Littlc Review, points the way to
answ American realism Those who have
padMr. Anderson's other Winesburg storie.;
isshe "Scven Arts and the Little Review
MI RENE ernber that he has set himself Che
iaskof portraying the spiritual values Of a
snail Ohio community without sentimental
lli,y. These stories suggest the "Spoon River
Anthology and indeed the tradition inaugu-
rated BY Edgar Lee Masters, Sherwood An
dcrson, aud other realists of the new Chi
csgo School seems likely to carry on the
vision Of Walt Whitman to new goals Of
achievement
g. *Cruelties'' ("Harper's Magazine'), and
Goddess Size" ("Harper's Magazine"), by
Edwna Stanton Babcock. When Miss Bah
rock published "The Excursion" last year
10 the Pictorial Review" expressed my be-
isiihat it vas one of the best five American
sas stories OF the year. regard these
histories as marking significant advance
Hiss Babcock's art. Her characterize
ion Of these Nantucket folks has subtle
auaor and poetry linked to faithfu6 real
Rn. Miss Babcock continues TO prove her
SELF a leader in short story regionalism
"cruslties" is very quietly done and no
POINT is oYcrstressed. In fact. find IA
greater reticence in these stories than In
Mss Babcock's earlier work, and this is
all to the good.
"The Bell-Tower CT P'an-hu,' by John
0'angwyn ("Century Magazine"). This story
" an American novelist, whose name is not
% be revealed, comes with definite mes.
age to Americans from China 1t is an al.
esory quietly setting forth the essence of
lie imaginative attitude toward life Like
'ashifting a tapestry, pictures weave to and
10, aud the way is opened to US to see the
Ysion that the unknown Chinese master
saw.