The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-27

short stories were actually diagrammed, as sen
fences used to be diagrammed in the sixth grade
When PAUL ARMSTRONG advised beginner who
had dramatic tale to tell to get pad and pencil
and sit down, the advice an honest lun:-ful.
Oh, to Write GREATLY
However, most of the wing clipping justly at
tributable to college experience must be extra
curricuar. In my youth as was then ambitious to
be considered fine writer''-thus or to like effect,
RUsKN, in The preface to Sesame and Lilies.
There's the bedevilment !-the fostering, in
demic atmosphere, of the ambition not to write
well but to be considered fine writer.
1t the tragic paradox of all the arts under any
circumstances, that YOUTH which has the ardor the
inspiration for which gray haired master crafts
manship would give its eyes, must be painfully pre-
occupied with learning the craft. Up to a certain
point the preoccupation is good. When it is over
done and the novice is led to mistake things like
PATER's incarnation before La Giaconda for the
ultimate goal and to labort string words together
finely greatly, the consequence is mischief.
Several things are potentially mischievous in this
way The college "Lit." is always edited with
sublime disregard of everything but Literature.
The finest writing submitted appears in it and is
pleased contributor imagines that the Best Maya
zines will prove bigger but otherwise similar worlds
to conquer. Almost anything presentable in the
shape of poetry gets printed and commended Since
our own day this has gone step further; there are
now College Anthologies, and books of the best col
lege short stories of Nineteen mpteen, compiled
from the "Lits - by compilers who ought to know
better
The interiors of the Greek letter fraternities,
far as we have been able to penetrate their mys-
teries, as solemnly and loftiy literary in
nature as anything else.
And then the casual mischief:
"What are you going to do after you GRADUATED"
the clever Senior is asked all sides "Going into
busnessl Why, fellow of your ability ought to
Write
The Senior protests that he will have to make
living. We hope he does, at least
"Why, man my father knows gets S, 900 a
story! Your things are ever so much better than
half the stuff they print"
And there is the sternest and coolest Of all the
issues confused at the start. To be sure, writ
ing students won have to worry about their living
Whether their independence will be good for them
or not depends on their constitutions Mr.
GALswoRTHY seems to typify the author of dis
tinction who, without private means, might have
done nothing. But a majority, if we know the
writing temperament, the effect of private means
would probably be narcotic.
The problem before those who lack private means
and would they might every one be made to see
tits to get living by some occupation that will
permit good deal of temporarily avocational writ
ing If our Senior has thought about this at all, ten
to one he has decided to begin as a newspaper man.
Newspaper work may be excellent for hint will
knock the fine writing obsession out of him, and it
will never pay him enough to lull him in luxurious
ease-and then again. it may be the worst thing
possible. This also depending on himself. To take
a second liberty with Mr. GALswoRTHY, it would
kill his kind of talent as dead as herring. But
that is another tonic and deserves more space than