davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
AWARD PRIZE STORIES AS
o. HENRY MEMORIAL.
CDoubleday, Page & Col

As memorial to o. Henry. the
Society of Arts and Sciences awards
two prizes of $500 and $3.50 each
for the best and second best Amer
lean short stories The prizes in
1920: went to Maxwell Struthers
Burt. for Each in His Generation" :"
published in Scribners Magazine.
and to Frances Noyes Hart for
Contact" published in the Pic
torial Review. But this volume of
prize. stories issued by the society
eontains fifteen stories besides these
two: all selected for special merit
oy the committee making the
hward. and the result is a collection
of contemporary fiction that will
make excellent summer reading for
fnyone who does not entirely scorn
the short story. The choice runs
hll the way from Scott Fitzgerald's
hflarious The Camers Back" to
Rose. Sidney's rather gruesome
butterflies" OF course the tales
vary in merit and some of them
such as Lawrence Perry's "A Mat
ter of Loyalty" seem thin and
frail enough to have been omitted.
However, from the introduction by
blanche Cotton Williams one
gathers that the editors aimed at
putting representative stories of
all kinds into the volume, and were
n fact, more interested in classify
Ing by kind than by merit. so that
fhsy have doubtless achieved their
end. Since short stories can neither
be made nor measured by an exact
pattern. there will be plenty of peo-
pie to disagree with the commit
tee in its awards. and there is lit
tie use in questioning them. We,
or example. found stronger stories
n the volume than Mr.. Burt's, but
he. nevertheless, has the prize. and
will probably keep II, for all OF
ls. But prizes aside. the collection
is worth while. either as represent
fng present tendencies in short flea
ion or as a pleasant field in which
30 browse. 1t is good book to
have around to pick up when you
choose, for. with the exception per-
haps. of two stories, there Is moth
Ing actually dull here, while there
Is a good deal that is entertaining,
ven arresting. and we'll done.
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
BY DON MARQUIS.
(DDubleday, PAGE Il Col

No doubt some earnest researcher
mas sought out and arranged in di-
visions and subdivisions all the
things which in the days that are
gone have driven men to drink.
Tucked away in some chaste coraer
there is perchance a formidabl
oosster wherein are listed in the
order of their Importance such in
sugators to inebriety as unrequited
love, lack of appreciation and ad-
venture, unsatisfied by a life of un-
eventkul sobriety. a congeniaI in
ABILITY to say when before it is too
iate,. general boredom and the
glamour of bright lights. These
and many others are doubtless
there and have at least a historical
significance. II the earnest re-
seareher were to have happened
upon the Old Soak as a case for
study. he would have had great diff.
ncuIty in accounting for the anti.
prohibition sentiments and prac-
tices of that veteran imbiber. No
cut and dried formula could be ap-
piled to the Old Soak. He did his
drinking not by accident but by de-
sign: And although the oft re-
iterSted purpose of his journal is
to make a truthful and imperish-
able. picture of the corner bar for
the BENEFIT of future generations.
he continually interrupts himself to
.expennd the philosophy of in
temperance.
Among the many evils of prohibi-
tom. against which the Old Soak
1nVeishs is the dangerous but pop
uiar: pastime of making and drink
ing .home-brew. 1T is" he tells us.
either a farce with no serious kick
In II. or tragedy with an unhappy
ending He gives a horrible ex-
ample of the effects of this prar-
tlce: a home-brewing friend had
a parrot named Peter. who had led
a oiameless life and was regarded
by all who knew him as a bird OF
exemplary virtue. The home-brewer
desired TO try his product on a
dumb beast. and having no dog
gave some of it to Peter to drink.
So potent was that brew that Peter.
the most sedate and well-mannered
and presumably male parrot in cap
tlYity. laid an egg. 1t is not sur
prising that the Old Soak look ed
forward to the day when his private
stock should be exhausted with
horror. and unutterable gloom
rate. was kind. however The
DID .Soaks daughter married a
reveRooer.
The Old Soak" is not merely i
funny book 1t is amusing enough.
but II is much more. 1t confirms
our belief that Don Marquis is at
the top Of the list of American sa-
nrlsts: The latter part of the
INoIume Hail and Farewell" is a
|colectlCn. of poems inspired by the
great drought. Among these We
were more profoundly moved by
that hair-raising narrative poem a
Kansas Tragedy" in which various
lPatent medicines with a high per-
eentaEe of alcohol play an i'm
|pOrtant part
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26

land and make whistles out Of the
willow branches. ...
No more had we landed than a
big policeman stepped up and says
You gotta keep padding. It's
against the law to land-and you
can't fioat-you just gotta keep
padding" So that put an awful
nail in that vacation.
I've tried 'em all, and now 1 say:
why spend the nickel?" Take one
of Zane Grey's books in your back
yard, hang your hammock under
the old umbrella and read his West
ern stories. You can have The
golden sunset swept over the val
ley when a single horseman was
sillhouetted against the horizon
and If you have a good imagination,
you can say, "Oh. that's me-" And
you're looking for something to eat
Cbecause the sinking sun does re-
mind you Of dinner), and you've
worked up a terrible appetite Just
thinking you've ridden all day with
out food. And then you can get
on your horse and go into the kitch-
en- and say. rs dinner ready yet7,
and you're not through the frst
chapter.
\, II you really went West and IN.
sun was sinking and you were tired
and dirty and hungry, you'd get a
cup Of coffee made by a China man
out Of local mud. One must he
rugged to take these vacation ztrips
When you meet the girl as won
ride into the village. shes standine
at the window waiting for her faith.
.er to return from the mines she's
a real girl. and you bow to her and
ask her to walk under the willow,
with you. II there aren't any will
lows, there's mesquite bush.
No policeman comes up and teIIs
you to keep padding. and You can
make all the love you want to. and
when you want to shake her Just
close the book,
No tiresome trip home. No losing
your luggage. No having to stay
In the house a week afterwards to
rest up.
Oh! me for the backyard vaea-
ton!
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
BOOKNOTES.

A collection OF James Hunekers 8
last writings will be published the
latter part of the summer by Charles
Scribner's Sons. Mr.. Huneker's pre-
vious collections of ESSAYS have
been rather homogeneous. either
concerned entirely with musicians,
or entirely with writer's, or with
painters, or with representatives of
certain schools of art. But il was
thought more suitable by the pub
fishers to make this collection rep
resentative rather of Mr.. Huneker's
many varied interests so that its
papers would combine to reveal the
authors singularly rich and vivid
personality. The volume is, there
tore, composed Of his discussions of
musical, literary and artistic per-
sonaiities and topics of all sorts and
of life in general.
Archibald Rutledge. whose plan
tation Game Trails" was recently
issAied by Houghton Mifflin Com
pany, is one of the sportsmen who
have been asked to contribute to a
fcr Incoming volume concerning
Theodore Roosevelt. Mr.. Rutledge
will write of Mr.. Roosevelt as a
naturalist.
Not long ago the president of one
of the great American steel COM
panies, testifying before the Lock-
wood committee in New York, in
sisted that he did not know the
meaning of the term. collective
bargaining" 1t will doubtless be
good news to this Industrial mag
nate. as well as to many others in
similar cases, that B. w. Huebsch,
ssk IL I,r
reference book, whats What in
the Labor Movement" by Waldo r.
Browne, in which not only collect
i've bargaining" but some 400 9TH
er terms. phrases. names, etc, in
the modern labor movement are
fully defined and explained.
Tagore's new novel, The Wreck" :"
is Hindu romance. His increas-
ing familiarity with English style
makes this a much more readable
hook than his first, novel, The
Home and the World" and its plot
IFS much more exciting. 1t gives. of
course. a vivid picture of a modern
Hindu, the conflict in his mind Of
the old and the new. the difficulty
of adjusting his personal emotions
to the cid conventions.
A novel dealing with the early
career of Napoleon against, the
background of the latter years Of
the French Revolution, in, which
he played so fatefdl a part. Is an
nounced for publication within a
week or two by. E. p. Dutton Co.
It's title is "Torchlisht," and its au-
thor is Baroness Leonie Aminoff,
Opinions may differ as to why the
United Sta tes entered the war. but
in China this is not the case. Ac-
cordins to witter. Bynner. who he's
Just returned from the Orient. 1T
was Elsa .Barker's war Letters OF
a. Living Deed. Man" which infin-
enced WI Ting Fang to persuade
the Chinese cabinet to declare war
against Germany WI Ting Fang
admitted ell this at banquet, We
don't know whether he Is still a
member of the cabinet. t.s
AT supper he noticed a pretty
woman and choked; ftle later he
caught sight of smother pretty
woman and choked again. So that he
did not eat his supper-there were
lot OF pretty fwomen."-From
chekhov's Notebook in the Free
man.
This seems to prove that 1t t-
best to try to do only one thing a.
a time.
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
Girl Writer
SholusTalent
Matalee' Lake, Western
High Pupil, Pens Tale
OF Persian Romance.

Miss Matalee Taibutt Lake. Is
year-oid student at Western High
School, of this city. deserves mors
credit for adaptative than for lit
erary ability in a little blue-bound
romance, "As Strong as the Hills, y
received last week. 1t would
scarcely be just to comment upon II
in the regular review, columns for
it is a maiden. effort and as such is
not to be tested in the severe alem-
bic of criticism employed for adult
productions.
"As Strong as the Hills" demon
strates Miss Lakes possession OF a
good deal more scholarly interest
and Imagination in high school his
tory courses than is the case with
the average student. She has
sketched the love story of a young
Persian noble and a girl of queenly
birth whose fathers kingdom had
been sacked by the Greeks, the
scenes being laid in the era of
struggle between xerxes and the
Hellenes.
Her drawing is faithful, her, plot
well developed and her characters
possessed of the breath of life,
though they are wont on occasion
to speak in the accents of mid Vic
torianism rather than in the color
full style of the ancient Near East.
There is puzzling interest at
tached to the designation of the
heroine as Roberta Hampton" We
are inclined to believe Miss Lake
originally intended her to be a mod
ern girl translated astrally into
ancient times, but only the youthful
authoress can enlighten us on this
point.
We advise Miss Lake to continue
her literary endeavors, always bear
ing in mind Tark Twain's three
rules for success in that great field.
to-wit: 81, write; 2, write; 3,
write"
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
Sightless Master Piano
Despite Many Obstacles

Apparently. there are some COM
pensations to the student of music
In being blind. He cannot read
raEtime. for as yet the BraiIle
raised notation system designed for
the use of the sightless has not
lent itself to popular syncopation.
So blind music pupils love the
best compositions most. This is the
declaration of Miss Mary Keebler.
head Of the Department of Music at
the New York Lighthouse for the
Elind. While Miss KeebIer, who
has helped hundreds of darkened
boys and girls through the initial
difficulties of instrumental instruc-
ton does not believe they are more
gifted musically as whole than
persons possessing sight, she does
maintain that they have greater
patience and thoroughness because
of their more limited range of in
terests. They 'go to their music
joyfully and take IL more serious
ly for it opens to them the whole
world of sound" And this COM
pensates to a great degree for the
loss of other beauties of the SEN
suous world
The commencing Is difficult.
There is no more tedious effort
than that at the beginning of the
study of the piano with a blind
pupil" says Miss keebler. What
the pupils picks up readily. imita.
lively. the child who cannot see
has to struggle awkwardly. pain.
stakingly to master. In this first
stage the sighted pupil will OF
course forge ahead faster than the
blind. can. But his learning which
comes So easily is not built upon
SO sure a foundation. think J
am perfectly safe in saying that tn.
average blind piano student ranked
with the average sighted student
all other things equal. which have
a more thorough understanding o.
his art
A vast amount of patience and
perseverance are needed. Tho
blind pianist sits with his musi'
sheet in his lap. one hand deftly
reading the Braille music notation
which to the average observer.
looks like nothing more than .
series of raised dots. with the
other hand the pianist transmutes
the Braille into notes on the piano
Each hand must he mastered sep
arately by the blind player. each
much be memorized. and UNUSUALLY
only four bars are memorIzrd at p
time.
Perhaps Miss Kecbier's INFINITE
patience comes from the fact that
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
A Book Buyers List.
PLAYS.

BACK TO METHUSELAH," BY G. B. Shaw. (Brentanos)
"DEBURAU" by Sacha Gutry C. p. Putnam's Sons)
ENTER MADAME" by Glda varesi and Dolly Byrne &C.
p. Punam's Sons)
THE GREEN GODDESS" by William Archer (Alfred A.
Knopf)
THE EMPEROR JONES'" DIFFERENT" THE STRAW"
by Eugene O'Neiu (Bon & Liveright)
\ "LIIOM" by Franz Molnar. (Boni & Liveright)
49, CLAIR DE LUNE" by Michael Strange. &C. p
Sons) ..r='s
CHIEF CONTEMPORARY DRAMATISTS" edited by
Thomas H. Dickinson. (Houehton, MHln Coy
"A BILL OF DIvoRcEMENT," by clemenee Dane (The
Macmillan Coz ..
PLAYS" by Susan Glaspen- tsman. Maynard Coy
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26

have gone further, according 20
Washington music lovers. For nlI-
sic produces results for the lettered
that even literature cannot proogcs.
One Of the advantages that the
band concerts provide is TO onsst
the effects OF Jazz. a type Of m lsic
which unfortunately is being foar
tered at the expense and the detri-
ment OF the higher types Of music.
Jazz. like the proverbisl poor, Is az
ways with us. IL is with us in the
ballroom. on the excursion stearier
at the picnics. The numbers that
will feature the program Of the n11i-
itary band concerts OF the city win
to some extent, at any rate, repafr
the damage to better musical taste,
resultant from the jsz1 craze
Nssie onset % Heat
The band directors are attempting
to prove by their programs. and they
believe they are succeeding, that
music may be pregnant with life
and interest and yet not cater TO the
lowest tastes.
A novel value of music in these
summery days was pointed out By
one OF the band directors yesterday.
There are two cures for heat" said
the director. ''One is refrigeration
and the other is mental diversion
The former method has recourse 20
ices. electric fans and the like. The
latter may be supplied by concerts.
which so absorb the attention as TO
cause one to forget that the tenn
perature Is IS in the shade.
Attend the concerts" said the d.
rector. and not only will you get
that musical bath which is good for
the soul. but you will forget about
the weather"
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
Famous operate Star
Tells Of Song and Love
Declares Successful Career Leads to Empty,
Isolated Life Unless Shared With Another.

formance he sent for me to express
his pleasure. "why are you moi
engaged at my opera?" he asked
Would you like to sing therer' OF
course there was. but one answer
to question such as that. and !
gave 1t as beamfngiy as / knew
how. Very soon I was signed for
a regular engagement, BY remain
ing with my husband. in spite of all,
I had gained all.
Has Marvellous Memory.
From then on II meant redoubled
work. redoubled effort cannot
begin to say. how many roles ]
learned. ], do know. though. that
can sing the soprano repertory all
the way from Marie in The Daugh-
ter OF the Regiment" to .Isolde in
Tristan and Isolde" or Kundry. in
t'PaFsifal." Today at the Metro.
politan Opera House in New York
people speak kindly Of my memory
as marvellous. But there is one
strange point about 1t; in ordinary
affairs. of life Il cannot remember
anything; I'm an opera, II see one
performance Of 1t, know. every en-
trance. every exit. all the stage ac-
tion. They are so indelibiy i'm
pressed that /. cannot forget them.
The multitude Of roles that I have
learned i know in three or four
languages. Consequently, at the
Metropolitan i am ready IT, called
upon to give role in any language
in which IL may be presented. For
the training Of my voice. and for
proper study have to feel most
thakful; without preparation can
change from a lyric to a dramatic
part and back again with case.
OF course . great break came in
both my husbands career and mine
at the very outset of the world
war. Compelled. as were other
singers of the allied countries, to
leave Berlin, where we had long
achieved successes. my husband
and sailed for America, a land
that we knew well ad loved well
because of happy memories.
Husband Makes saeriAee.
. This time 1t was again Mr. Mac
Lehman who received the first en-
gagement, and the Chicago opera
repeating a success he had already
won throughout the United States,
in Germany, and in Great Britain.
My turn II was to rest content in
his honors, just as gladly as IL they
had been my very own. When wag-
.ner's operas were discontinued in
this country. and consequently
withdrawn from performance at the
Chicago Opera, there came to me q
call from the Metropolitan Opera
House. New York. where for three
years / have sung a range of roles
from Carmen to Isolde and Kundry.
And so the situation is once more
reversed.
My husband rejoices in my sue
cesses, helps me with his artistic
taste, and above all his encourage
ment. returning a hundred-fo the
joyful sacrifices have made for
him. The compact that we entered
into on our marriage to remain to-
gether always. come what might.
has been kept faithfully often
when big offers have come to the
one or the other separately, we have
weighed we'll all the advantages
they held. But never have those
advantages remotely equaled the
content and Joy that life lived to-
gether holds for us in a double ca
reer which we make as one.
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
LITERARY LOCALS.

Life has dealt most severely with
George Bernard Shaw. Not long
ago he came to a meeting of the
British Society of Authors, Play
wrights and Composers with his
spirit torn and lacerated as the re-
suit of an interview with an Ameri-
can who had offered him 10000
HS7,0o0 at the present rate of ex-
change) il he would allow his name
to be put on a bill for a film. Mr.
Shaw was further depressed be-
cause he had to spend SO much time
arranging for the copyrights of his
books in the various languages, in
Cluding the Scandinavian. Incl
dentally the unhappy man revealed
the reason for his having become a
playwright. He said he had taken
to authorship to escape business,
but now this very authorship has
brought him so much business that
he has no time TO write. 1t Is a
pathetic story.
Booth Harrington objects to hav-
ing Alice Adams" considered as
small town stuff" The city of
Alice's exploits Is the same as that
in The Turmoil" and The Magnin-
cent Ambersons." and has a popus
lation of between 100000 and 1,o0o,-
900. Mr. Harrington ought to
know; it's his town.
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26

Even the comedian, Ray Hitch
cock. now is press-agenting Zane
Grey, the popular novelist. Harper
and Brothers send out the following
narrative, together with Rays i'm
preston of himself, as another
proof 'of the gripping power Of
Grey's books. While we should not
advise Ray to desert the masque of
comedy in favor of the muse of let
ters, his literary skit is a creditable
one.
By RAYMOND HITCHCOCK.
have been reading these signs
Where to go on your vacation"
I followed the advice of several.
One of them says, Why go out of
town? Why not take the subway
for a nickel nd see all the animals.
wild and otherwise?" 1t read so
seductively that 1 purchased a s.
cent ticket from a man who shout
had it in my hand than another
man took it away from me.
1 met the o'clock crowd going
toward Bronx Park, which lifted
me of my feet, put me right in the
center of the car, and / never
touched the ceiling or the floor till
L reached daylight uptown some
where. When / got there, / found
the park was closed.
Being stout of heart, l read an
other ad where it says Ten miles
from here! Get pure food and air?
Well, after recovering from the
ptomaine poisoning. 1 read another
ad. 1t says Come and paddle on
our lake"
Now, padding on any lake
sounds well. So / went up to that
lake, rented a paddle. aid a canoe
went with 1t. I hadn't padded
more'n a block when a female voice
said, You look lonesome" never
was noted for being hard-hearted.
so ] asked her IL she didn't want
to paddle along with me-And we
padded to a nice overhanging viii
low tree, and 1 suggested that we
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26

Frieda Hempel's recent appear
ance in Copenhagen, the frst or her
European tour of the present sea-
son. was a noteworthy triumph, ac-
cording to cable to her New York
management. 1t read as follows:
Debut most sensational in an
nails of city. Three thousand people
unable to obtain tickets waited to
cheer Hempel when she left the
theater. Greatest excitement in
hall. Orchestra played the fanfare.
the entire audience standing and
amid countless recalls insistently
demanding more"
st. John Ervine has explained to
a London audience why Americans
lack the strong individuality which
Englishmen exhibit in the field of
the drama. Americans. IL appears.
think they are free. but as a matter
CT fact they live under the mos,
autocratic government Of all civil
lied countries except Russia. Refu-
gees from European oppression have
brought TO America their capacity
for being oppressed and have thus
made submissive race. All this f.
very bad for literature. Mr. Ervine
did. however. say a good word for
American audiences. which is nc
more than fair since they have
shown a greater enthusiasm for his
plays than his own countrymen.
The manuscript of F. Scott Fitz-
serald's second novel, THE Beauti-
full and the Damned" is now in the
hands of his publishers, Charles
Scribner's Sons. Haywood Brour
has likewise surrendered to Har-
court. Brace & Co. the manuscript
Of his book. Seeing Things a,
Night" Stephen Vincent Benet's
hrst novel. The Beginning OF wis
DOM" Is to be published this au-
tumn by Holt
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26

1t we'll that Mr. Hitchcock labelled the in this
His deineaon of himself however shows plainly
forelo wild eye with which his admirers
familiar
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
BOOK REVIEWS =: ART NOTES = ABOUT MUSIC I
The Old Soak" Earns Don
Marquis Satire's Crown
Journal of Veteran Imbiber Humorous and
Something Deeper Other New Books

statements that are too staggering
to be convincing.
The Washington herald., 1921-06-26
Pleases Central
American Critics

Miss Frieda Bethig. Chicago. yio-
linist. is thrilling Central American
audiences on her second tour.
Critics proclaim her one of the lead
ing artists of America, it is re-
ported.