osphere
rather than speech, but atmosphere here becomes human in its reality and
the resultant effect is not unlike that of "When Hannah Var Eight Yar
Old" by Miss Girling, which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly a few years
ago. "John Breck," or Elizabeth C. A. Smith, to reveal her authorship,
has found complete embodiment for her conception in this story for the
first time, and it is a promise for a vivid and interesting future.

6. THE FLYING TEUTON by _Alice Brown_ (Harper's Magazine) is the best
short story that has come out of this war as yet in either English or
American magazines. Accepting the old legend of the Flying Dutchman,
Miss Brown has imagined it reembodied in a modern setting, and out of
the ironies of this situation a most dramatic story results with a sure
and true message for the American people. It is in my opinion one of the
five best short stories of the year, and I am happy to say that it will
soon be accessible to the public once more in book form.

7. CLOSED DOORS, and 8. A CUP OF TEA by _Maxwell Struthers Burt_ (both
in Scribner's Magazine). In these two stories, and in "The Glory of the
Wild Green Earth," "John O'May," and "Le Panache," all of which appeared
in Scribner's Magazine during the past year, a place is made for the
author among American short story writers beside that of Mrs. Gerould,
Wilbur Daniel Steele, and H. G. Dwight. Two years ago I had the pleasure
of reprinting his first short story, "The Water-Hole," in "The Best
Short Stories of 1915." I thought at that time that Mr. Burt would
eventually do fine things, but I never suspected that, in the short
period of two years, he would win for himself so important a place in
contemporary American letters. Mr. Burt's technique is still a trifle
over-sophisticated, but I suppose this is a fault on virtue's side. A
collection of Mr. Burt's short stories in book form should be anxiously
awaited by the American public.

9. LONELY PLACES, and 10. THE LONG VACATION by _Francis Buzzell_ (The
Pictorial Review). The attentive reader of American fiction must have
already noted two memorable stories by Francis Buzzell published in
previous years, "Addie Erb and Her Girl Lottie" and "Ma's Pretties."
These two stories won for Mr. Buzzell an important position as an
American folk-writer, and this position is amply sustained by the two
fine stories which he has published during the past year. His
imaginative realism weaves poignant beauty out of