Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-08-03
Miss Matalee Lake Won Fame
Through Writing a Short
Story.

High school instructed members of
the freshman class to prepare articles
dealing with the Persian history which
they had studied since the beginning
of the present school term, it is GER
tain that she did not realize that she.
was providing an outlet for the am
bition and unusual literary talent of
IA 15-year-old girl. Year after year
the same routine is followed as a
means of demonstrating just how well
the girls and youth of the freshman
class have mastered the details of an
Gent Persian's intricate history.
But this year the unusual happen
ed, for as a result of the terse in:
structions given by the teacher at
Western High school, there has just
appeared through the medium of the
Terminal Press, of Washington a
novel that for ARE literary simplicity
pure English and thrilling romanti-
cism is likely to stand for many years
as a model for present and future
authors of Washington and else.
where.
"As Strong as the. Hills" by Mata-
lee T. Lake, daughter of Felix Lake
a Washington real estate operator, OF
l28OO Wisconsin avenue, can correct
ly be termed a book of surprises, not
only to the staid, practical school
teacher at Western, and Miss Lakes
family and friends, but even to Miss
Lake herself.
Always Longed to Write.
It is true that the 15-year-old
school girl has dreamed as only a
girl can dream of that wonderful
"some day" when she would see her
name on the title page of a real nov
ell to, be read by those who love lit
erature as she, despite her youth,
loves it. But from her own lips comes
the admission that she did not believe
for an instant that the wonder would
be performed for years to come.
at have always longed to write,"'
said Miss Lake, as she gazed with
the happiness cleaning from her
bright eyes, at the first volume of
her book to come from the printer.
"But l didn't dream that this joy
should come to me so Don In fact,
II always have believed that n
should learn to write by constant eff
fort and practice, just as one learns
to do, anything else that is useful
"When my teacher told us o write
something of the Persian history
which we had studied, l decided that
it was a chance for me to begin my
apprenticeship, so I began to write
the story. I know l worried dad and
the other folks at home, for as the
story gradually unfolded itself in my
mind and I put it on paper, l insisted
on reading it to them. l even took
the partly completed story to my
teacher and though she praised it
and told me to go ahead, she seemed
to believe that in the final analysis
a novel would be too great a task
for me-"
Persia's War With Greece.
The story unfolds a realistic tale
of Persia's war with Greece, the
death of the beloved mother of the
hero, a Persian nobleman; the flight
of a princess from bondaga in a
Greek nobleman's household, her mar
rage to the Persian nobleman while
incognito, the Kidnapping of the
bride, a battle between the Persians
and the Greeks, the rescue OF the
princess from the clutches of the
Greek nobleman by her husband and
the final triumph of marital love and
peace between the peoples of the war
ring nations.
Strange, though it may be, Miss
Lake has one of the characteristics
which one would expect to find in a
writer, however young who could so
successfully handle situations involv-
ing the emotions engendered by war,
love and villiany. She was left moth
erless seventeen days after her birth
in Tazewell, Va, and since that time
has been under the sheltering care
of two maiden relatives of her mother
the Misses M. A. and N. T. Talbutt.
Indeed, she saw little of her father
until a few years ago, for his bust
ness made it necessary for him to