The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-28
Ea I l

did.
 The idea of "A Cross- Country Chat with the author of "Mr. Doctor Man popped into my head one day and struck me as being rather novelty.
 Of course I know the lovely Mrs. Wood ruff whom all New York adores and I've talked heart to heart with her many times and heard her tell her funny stories aboue Uncle Shoddy," but how was I to do it now with that fair lady in New York and here was l in-Birming- ham?
 ''Write,'' said I, and the moving finger (which is a perfectly good typewriter in this cs.se) wrote or.
 MT. Doctor Man. is the latest book from the versatile pen of Helen Smith oodruff as everybody knows, but everybody doesn't know how and why it came to be written for the "Children's S hospital
 wrote and asked Mrs Woodruff and l like her letters; the way in which she has told me things; they flash mirror like rays upon her charming personality, lighting up here vista of her youth; there her firesde and her wfehood;
 
 home surroundings down here in the south, and further her new environment in the metropolis.
 Come with me on the little trip, and enjoy the Cross Country Chat I'm go- ing to have with Mrs Woodruff
 As she receives my first letter imagine this lovely creature sitting at her desk writing; her maid, hearing the postman's S signal, opens the massive front doors of the brownstone house in Sixty-eighth street and receives the mail
 Mrs. Woodruff looked up with smile, for she working upon the task she loves best in the world-that of writing a new story-but when she saw the ponderous heap of mail in the maid S haIfds her eyes as quickly clouded and she sighed:
 "More crank letters, no doubt, Why is it the moment people begin to write books they should be pestered nearly to death.''
 She took the mail from the maid and began slowly sorting it.
 A letter advertising beauty parlor! Yes, even after three years they still came persistently, just because she had happened to name her first book "Mis Beauty!
 Others-several others-from children judging from the handwriting. They came from all over the country. The author smiled at this. She loves getting letters from children, and here was one that had come all the way from far-off India but told her how much the little writer of the missive had enjoyed Real ly-Truly Nature Stories and added a wistful postscript:
 Dear Story Lady: My papa's paper said you were writing cequil to them Ha1la lad v irNF nd will you send me one? My papa s a mis- sionary in India and I'm sick"
 Mrs. Woodruff hastily made a note of the child's name and address, de- termining to send her a copy of the new fairy stories as soon as they were out. Then picking up the next letter she opened it; there was lot of pleas urc after all in these so-called crank letters. Presently her eyes caught the page before her: her face saddened. The sheet was crumpled and dirty. there were finger prints on it where the pencil had smeared. and the writ ing ran aslant all up and down the page so that the whole was almost ill.gible. But she was able to read it through; and when she had finished tears stood in her eyes. It was from q soldier blinded in battle a poor ''b1indie"-as the author. of The Lady of the Lighthouse" adfectionately calls all those who cannot see. He was thus sending fout to her hi,ii 'S 0 $ cpl hoping that she could kindle for him a light of hope just as she has done foi so many others with the proceeds of that ''best seller of hers "The Lady of the Lighthouse
 An, how many of these blind letters came to her these da''s' It had Neen bad and sad enough before the Euro pean war; but no--they daily grew in numbers and horror, and the list of travellers in the and of Eternal Night increased appallingly! f.7-
 lot more letters-all strange hand- writings. These would prove to be real Iv-trulv cranr letters sshe fe't sure Doubtless somebody else wanting to know what kind of cold cream she used or if she ate cereals for break fast! erf e.f,- S q.
 And so it went; some. of the let etrs asking only for an autograph and others wanting the author to give a hand knitted wash rag with her name embroidered on it to sell at the church fair--or r,lee lf '.,r,'iS tshc tel Q fNnd mother if red flannel was really warm CT and more healthful than white.
 Then Mrs. Woodruff came to letter that made her smile happily. It had the letter heading and address of the Birmingham Chidrens hospital in the corner, ard was fat and interesting lock- ing. A Birmingham postmark invariably promised pleasure. anyway. She always xs-aptad ta kpoW ssfha v,cxys from home