The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-06
April Stories in the
Women's Magazines
BY DOROTHY SCARBOROUGH.

j. called women's magazines have
done more for backward and isolated COM
munities than all the other preachers and
teachers together" says Mary S. Watts in
a letter to Grant 0yerton, which be quotes
in his The Women Who Make Our Norels.
: No sensible person now doubts the value
of the women's magazines In disseminating
information and inspiration along many
lines of human activity. But there are oc-
casional beings, otherwise well Informed,
who still believe that the chief-or sole
merit of these publications lies in their ad-
moritions against the giving Of sausages
and cheese to infants, and their house
f-rifely instructions on how to make
y boiled egg look like a water lily
and how to crochet beribboned border
round porous plaster. Many readers
are unaware that tie women's magazines
are publishing a deal of fiction, SOM of
which has excellent literary quality.
A masculine editor insisted not long
ago that fiction must be chosen of type
to please men readers. When reminded
of the fact that women buy and read more
magazines than men do, he sskIl, "Yes,
but women will read what interests men
and men won't read about what women
care for. A woman will read the Sdtur-
day Ecening Post, for example, but man
wouldn't read the Ladies' Home Compan-
ion.D He would be surprised to know in
how many homes the men do read these
periodicals for their well written articles
and their entertaining fiction. The quail
ity of the stories In the women's maya
zines has distinctly improved IN the past
few years, perhaps because Of the good
prices paid by the more prominent publ
cations Of the type.
The Pictorial Reriesp, which ordinarily
has q high standard Of fiction, is disap
pointing in its April number. DON'T You
Cry for Me, by Mary Synon, is well writ
ten, but fails to hold the readers interest.
In Blossom Time, by Leona Dalrymple. Is
tiresome attempt at humor and realism
which succeeds only in boring the reader.
Government Goat, by Susan Glaspell, has
interest Of Characterization and locale but
seems, for some indeinable reason, b
drag.
The Womaa's Home Companion con-
tains q delicious bit Of sdoleseent realism
in Fannie KiIbourne's Her First Caller.
The Co,cord, by Edith MaeVane, contains
dramatic incidents, but does not make one
believe that it Is what it processes 10 be,
the diary Of French captain.
The Delineator likewise has character
story of French soldier, The Orchid of
the Holy Ghost, which seems mechanical
rather than true to life. The Planting of
the Trees, by Eleanor Cox, is somewhat
poetic legend of Ireland, and The Heart
of Patricia, by Ann Whitaker, is light
but pleasant love story.
In the Designer Ward Muir has ten
der and delicately wrought story Of love
and spiritual vision called The Fairess
Sight.
The Woma1's Magazine has several
stories with fairly good plot compiled
ton and sustained suspense, of which the
best is possibly Alice Keeps the From
eAise, by Barbara Behan, which, however,
reveals the outcome too clearly in its title.
The Ladies' Home Journal, whose fiction
in the past has run too much TO over-sen-
timentality, has shown definite improve
meEt in recent months. In the April num-
Der Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
has a whimsical and touching story, More
Than Millionaires, whose central figure is
an old colored woman. II. II. W. and
Weebee, by o. T. Lewis. is a humanity hu-
morous narrative of a fat man and
/. microscopic dog.
NcCdlrs Magazine has for its best story
this month The Other Room, by Mary
Heaton Worse, poetic and dreamy story
of eirlhood that saw more than the merely
visible things of life, which has a delicate
touch Oh the occult. The Tamp, by Inez