Excerpt from St. Joseph's Collegian, Vol. 12: May 1906

Hen we consider the vast number of short-stories ever current throughout the literary public, the high degree of excellence they generally maintain, their popular ity with all classes of readers, and the preference in which they are held to all other literary productions, we conclude that Short Story writing, as an art, has indeed reached its age of supremacy. It is no doubt worthy of its unique posi tion, embodying, as it does, most artistic principles, and ap pealing strongly to the heart and mind of man.

Aside from the fact of its present regency in literary domains, story telling is not the result of recent invention. It is a practice as old as human life itself, for in truth, we are accustomed to picture the child hearing his first tales at his father's or mother's knee ever since the time of Adam. At the fireside gatherings of the common people the Short Story has ever found favor. There it has grown, delight ing young and old. Regrettable as it may be, it has its home there no longer. Whether people have become too enlightened and critical, or too prosaic and unimaginative, it is a fact that the Short Story has almost disappeared from the home. The grey-beards no longer find it a past time, and to the restless youth it affords no amusement. With its passing a fountain of folk-lore, of poetry and romance has ceased to flow.

It is indeed a singular coincidence that, as readily as it had begun to vanish among the common folk, story telling has been taken up by the literary artist; and where people found nothing but pastime, he has seen an opportunity of displaying all the power of his genius. Cast away from its lowly fireside surroundings it has come to the writing desk, from whence it has passed into the glare of public opinion, found favor, and at present enjoys universal appreciation.

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