MAGAZINES

History of the Magazine Story

July 27, 1914—Author finishes it.

Aug. 3, 1914—Rewrites, giving incidental war slant.

May 9, 1915—Rewrites; hero rescues heroine from torpedoed liner.

Apr. 7, 1917—Rewrites; hero enlists; villain, German spy.

Nov. 13, 1918—Rewrites; denouement, allied entrance into Berlin; heroine, Red Cross nurse.

Nov. 13, 1918—Rewrites; climax, homecoming from overseas.

Aug. 15, 1919—War fiction going stale; goes back to original story, retaining only German villain.

Jan. 1, 1923—Rewrites; takes out German villain.

Apr. 1, 1934—Author in old people's home; sells original story to Cozy Hearth; editor features it as "charming romance of life before the war."

EDITOR (surveying summer landscape)—"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom friend of the maturing sun!"

FRIEND—"But, I say, that was written about autumn, wasn't it?"

EDITOR—"Yes, yes, I know—but you must remember that we always go to press four months in advance!"

It was the first of January when a stranger entered the offices of Pushup's Monthly Magazine.

"Gracious, but it is hot in here!" he remarked to a man in his shirt sleeves, who was mopping his face with a handkerchief.

"Some," was the terse reply of the man, who was no other than the famous editor himself.

"What are all those flowers, straw hats and palm-leaf fans scattered about for?"

"Oh, to give a touch of realism;—we are now preparing our great Midsummer Fiction Number," was the great editor's kindly reply.—E.C.H.