The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-23

Copyright, 1873 by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
II I SUALLY it is poverty that gives
spur to ambition and plenty that
duls it. Money, ease and recogni-
tion are the beaeons that crown the height
of success. The more distant they may be-
the more brilliant they seem.
There was no spur of poverty In the
case of Fannie Hurst She had money
and she had ease Her father was
wealthy. Her home was charming. Tens
of thousands of young girls would have
thought themselves blest If they were in
her place. She probably would have been
perfectly happy and never been heard of
had not ambition somehow taken root
in her brain and started her to do things
wealthy girls rarely attempt
Fanny Hursts home is st. Louis. Her
parents gave every educational advantage
to her. After her regular schooling she
went to Washington university and then
in 1909 she went to New York to take
n postgraduate course In Columbia
While she was in Washington univer-
sity she had two desires that are not
unusual with girls. She wanted to be
an actress and she wanted to be a
great writer. Her parents frowned at
her talk of the stake and smiled when
she talked of writing. She dreamed Of
the day when she would be an actress,
but contented herself for the time being
with writing things which she thought
would set the world afre.
She had lots of ideas. She has a keen
and observant eye. There is a publica-
tion in st. Louis to which she sent some
of her productions. She sent others to
the newspapers. At first most of these
came back A few We're printed She
never has known greater joy than she
felt the first time she saw in print
something She had written. There was
an added joy when she got money, real
money, in payment for it. She went and
saw the editor. He was more than kind
TO her. He made suggestions that were
of great value. He explained wherein
some of her work was crude, pointed
the way to good writing, and cheered her
with the statement that she had prom
fse Then he gave $40 to her for one of
her yarns
She wrote and she wrote and she wrote
The editor printed some of these stories
and when the spirit moved him he put
scme bills in an envelope and sent the
money to her through the mail. Even
the newspaper paid her for what they
accepted She made enough out Of her
writings in six months to almost pay
her candy bill.
In New York she found the editors
colder than in St. Louis. She was to
put in two years in Columbia. She was
to attend three lectures a week. She
had to devote a good many hours to
study but she had some spare time
She improved the opportunity by doing
little writing. Most of the stuff she
wrote was short, the sort of matter that
is called filters. She sent this stuff to
the Sunday newspapers. Most of II came
hack. A little of it was printed. She
thought if she could see one of the edi-
tors and talk with him she could make
him understand the value OF what she
was writing, and possibly open the col
umns to her. She went to one office nine
times and sat in an ante-room until even
the office boy felt sorry for her. 1t is
hard for a newcomer to get audience. 1t
is not the editors fault. Most of the
editors ars overrun with visitors II