The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-05-14
BY MABEL ABBOTT

Wtso sio's oo1srtn iSrHtnis Hfc)
BY MABEL ABBOTT
There Is one series OF ques
tlons tina, every member OF The
Star staff 10 asked over and over
again.
The answer 70 the first OF the
series 10: YES. CYNTHIA GREY
IS a REAL WOmANl
The others are like unto thls:
No. she 10 not n man. No, Cythla
Grey 10 not her real name: u 10
Miss Viola Borarsh. Yes. she
lives In Seattle, at Az Crockett
at, on Queen Anne hill. Yes, she
answers every one OF the Cynthia
Grey letters herself. or else die
tates the answer 10 her assistant
And I, keeps her good and busy.
too.
am looking at Cynthia as I
write this. She has brown hair
and brown eyes. and Is wearing n
pretty. dark-blue silk dress with
friily edges. ! happen 10 know that
she swims. anI bowls. and plays
tennis. and dances. and docs vari.
Gus other things that she couldn't
do II she were not a real woman.
Jus, now she Is sitting a, her
typewriter. with pile OF letters
beside her. which she IL trans.
ferrfng. ono By one. TO another
pile. as fast as they are an.
avsred
ANSWERS FROM THE HEART
She has set OF encyclopedias.
the Bible and the World Almanac
In front OF her. and another set
OF encyclopedias. some law
books. histories of all nations.
United States year books. cook
books and other sources OF infor-
nation on a shelf above her head
The drawers o, her desk are full
OF indexed clippings on every
subject. from how to grow eye
brows to statistics on shipbuild.
ing
But Cynthia Is not consulting
any OF these things at this min.
ute. She Is answering the letter
on top OF the pile out OF her own
head and heart. IA she does the
greater part OF her huge mail.
ASK ADVICE ON PROBLEMS
For. while people write Gym
thia for information on subjects
that would stagger a university
professor--and get Utmost OF
them write her because they are
face 70 face with some personal
problem. big or little. on which
they need the clear light OF com
mon sense or the touch OF sym
patty. or the help Of an outside
viewpoint.
Cynthia Is the response 10 this
great human need.
The questions people ask Gym
thia. and tho things they tell
her.
II she were TO tell one-tenth
OF what sho knows. there would
be social revolutions in several
cities. But she never does. And
yet she IL real woman,
SOME SAMPLE QUESTIONS
How can the family stop IA
theirs snoring?"
Il have six toes: will this keep
me from Joining the navy"
"Can | get n divorce right away
II J go TO Reno. and what would
II cost. and how soon could |
marry again."
What are the laws governing
homestead entries"
How can ! keep my salt-rising
bread from smelling queer"
These give faint idea OF the
range OF Inquiries Cynthia gets.
II her files and books are not sui
ficient, she calls on tho public
library. the university, physi-
clans. lawyers. officials and ex-
perts OF every kind.
HER REPLIES RING TRUE
But there are questions before
which universities and libraries
and officials and experts are help
less.
Tell me how to get back my
husbands love"
DO you think the girl I prom.
Used to marry really cares for
me?"
Il have made the great mis-
take What shall I do?"
These are the letters Cynthia
answers without looking in any
book.
She is not so very old In years.
but she has common sense, expe-
rience. clear vl&r and n sense
of humor. and she Is genuinely in
terested in peoples problems.
And 30 the answers ring true:
and that. ] think. Is why every
body reads Cynthla's column.
whether they read anything else
In the paper or not.
HEARS QUEER THINGS
Queer things come 10 Cynthia