Evening star., 1928-03-02

| Three years ago this column called
the attention of readers to a new maga-
zine named the Golden Book which
had just appeared on the neWsstands.
In our review, which was carried here
a few days after Christmas, 1924, the
venture was praised as constituting a
real idea in magazine publishing.
| The latest March number (volume
7. number 39) recently made its ap-
pcarancc. pointing to that many months
of successful life. during which this
publication has adequately fulfilled its
| mission as magazine "of flct1on ana
| true stories that will live"
| Practically everything that 1t carries
has been printed before: it simply prints
the tried and true stories which readers
In the past have called good. These in
clude the work of writer's Of all nations.
and Of all ages.
| Thus the whole fiowery field Of litcra-
ture. with accent upon fiction. Is open
| to the editors of the Golden Book; and
| that they make good use OF their OPP
portunity any one may see by picking
up the latest issue.
| The wonder of this magazine is that
no one ever thought of doing 1t before.
II one has not read story. 1t makes
10 difference whether 1t is old or new,
whether it is hot off the press. or
whether 1t first appeared hundred
years ago in n foreign tongue
It is good story just the same!
Perhaps there is no person who reads
who has not. at some time or other. Ia
mented the fact that magazines arc so
| ephcmcral in character. One comes
across a really striking short story. 9
| thing that stirs the mind and heart,
and one would willingly treasure it, but
finds it hard practical problem.
X X II
The Golden Book winnows the crowd
ed fields of books and magazines for
the average reader, presenting to him
each month something which he had
missed in the past, or which, II he has
read, he may read again with pleasure.
The copyright title page carried in
each number acknowledges the source
of the stories. One may be as recent
as 1926. another SO years old. 1t makes
no difference. A really good story is
worth printing again-and worth read
| ing again.
The test OF the pudding is in the
eating: the test Of a magazine IS in the
reading A perusal Of the March issue
will show any one that the Golden Book
| has fully lived up to the high stand
ard set with its first number.
1t comes as near as any magazine In
! the world to bridging that difficult gap
between the weekly and monthly mag
azines and books. Here Is the big lit
erary hiatus, as one may say. A maga-
zine is sort Of wordy purgatory. in
which good stories and articles wait for
| transition TO the heaven OF books.
The Golden Book takes 'em from both
ends and allows them to meet on the
| fair field Of It's pages. In this latest
issue. for instance, the reader finds a
good gambling story by the Russian,
Alexander Pusnkin; one OF our own
| Wilbur Daniel Steele's stories. some
"reminiscences Of Theophile Gautier:
Guy de MaupasSants The Diamond
| Necklace" toften called the most IA
| nous short story In the world, short
| play by the famous Richard Brinsley
| Sheridan a poem by Algernon Charles
| Swinburne: a slice Of Alexander Dumas
The Queens Necklace"
These are but some Of the high spots
| in thoroughly good number OF one of
the most enjoyable magazines to be
found on the newsstands today Take
Steele's The Man Who Saw Through
| Heaven" Here Is a most disturbing
writer. on. who catches facts by the
tail and flirts them in your face whether
you like it or not. Ultra conservative
people will get large pain from read
ing this one, those who delight In call
! ing themselves progressives will hail II
| with pleasure. From any viewpoint II
Is some" story. and one that will keep