usband and a brood of children.

(11) The pathetic "Mother" play in which Thanksgiving and pumpkin pies
tug hard at the heart-strings.

(12) The play in which the rich crippled child is contrasted with the
poor strong child, and in which the two are brought together and
exchange confidences--and money.

(13) The husband jealous of his wife's brother, whom he has never
seen.

(14) The burglar who breaks into a house, to be confronted by his own
child, who has been adopted by the family.

(15) The policeman who calls on the cook and removes his hat and coat,
which are used by another.

(16) The child who reunites parents and children separated through an
unapproved marriage.

(17) The child who redeems the criminal or who saves the discouraged
from the downward plunge.

(18) The employee who gets an interest in the business, and his
employer's daughter, either with or without opposition from the
foreman or the junior partner.

(19) The bad small boy.

(20) The sheriff who is rescued by the outlaw and who later allows him
to escape, or prevents his being lynched.

(21) The revenue officer who falls in love with the moonshiner's
daughter, and who is forced to choose between love and duty.

(22) The Southern boy who enlists in the Federal army, and is cast out
by his father for so doing. Or the young Northerner who, acting as a
Federal spy, falls in love with a Southern girl, the daughter of a
Confederate officer. There are dozens of variations of the Civil War
"brother against brother" plot, but all have been done so often that,
unless you can give such a theme a decidedly new "twist," it is much
better not to send it out. And note that merely to give the old theme
a "Great War" setting is _not_ to render it more acceptable.

(23) Stories requiring too much trick photography, and stories based
upon "love pills," "foolish powders," and other "influences."

"Editors and public tired long ago of the poor boy whose industry at
last brought him the hand of his employer's daughter; the pale-faced,
sweet-eyed young thing whose heroism in stamping out a fire enabled
her to pay off the mortgage; the recovery of the missing will; the
cruel step-mother; answering a prayer which has been overheard; the
strange case of mistaken identity; honesty rewarded; a noble revenge;
a child's influence; and so on to a long-drawn-out end."[26]

[Footnote 26: J. Berg Esenwein, _Writing the Short-Story_.]

In avoiding trite subje