The New York herald., 1922-08-13

MT ISS HURST expresses her ap-
AS4 probation of the richest of
all tributes" the word Of encour-
agement from fellow craftsman
who is further along toward the
goal. For there are pleasant let
ters too to be found in the authors
letter box. Miss Hurst says: "One of
my most treasured correspondents
is an old monk in an Illinois mon
astery, into whose secluded life my
work seems to bring some sense of
the pound of the life outside those
walls. Another is a boy in Aus
tralia,, whose bones are turning to
chalk, whose first letter was an inn
mature one of appreciation, but who
can upon occasion be a wise and
unrelenting critic. Letters and let
ters from girls, all of them seeking
a shoulder to lean on! Their glad
little letters. their frightened little
letters and their sometimes desper-
ate letters -. Once | wrote
the story of a tired father and a
oored husband who carried his cross
silently and no less than fifty heads
Vi iamllies laid bare their secret
reoeiiions upon the altar OF me-"
HERE are the poignantlv no
thetic letters. For examn,e
take that series of letters received
during the last year by Mr.. James
Oliver Curwood. They were signed
Miss Hungry" The first, written
from Los Angeles, was twentv-
seven pages in length. Miss Hun
cry literally barred her soul She
mad adventured to Los Angeles
drawn by the lure of the MOVING
picture business, and very 500,
was face to face with grim reaIi-
ties. Young, unsophisticated and
pretty, a kind" director took an
interest in her, and the inevitable
happened. Through twenty-seveu
pages she told Mr.. Curwood the
tragedy of three years until she
had sunk so low that on the par
tlcular night of the writing she
was about to take her life. "In
the last hour of her despair she
opened an old magazine and began
to read a Trail to Happiness
article of mine. In place of taking
the poison she spent the night in
writing the twenty-seven page
letter. She promised that to-mor-
row would see her beginning the
fight. 1 am hungry she said. But
you have given me new life.
II | win you will hear from me
again. If lose-you won't"
A MONTH passed. Mr.. Curwoo;
even advertised in Los Angeles
papers, asking that he might hear
again from Miss Hungry" and
be given an address. But Miss
Hungry" did not reply. And then
at the end of the month, he re-
ceived another letter. She was
working in the kitchen of a private
house. Il weigh ten pounds moro
than l did. | am going tc
win, Writer Man. / am going te
win." Again she signed herself
Miss Hungry" For six months
Mr.. Curwood heard nothing. Their
third letter came. In it was a
snapshot, the picture of slim
pale faced girl, with large eyes
quietly and prettily dressed in q
street suit. She had secured a
position in an Office, and was doing
her work so well that her employer
paid her 500 a month. Some time
in the near future she was going
to take up stenography in a night
school. "And when / came to the
end of the letter my heart fell, fol
she had signed herself again Miss
Hungry and she said: This is
the last time you will ever heal
from me, Writer Man. l have
won. But some time l am going
to see you, and talk with you, anG
know you. But when that time
comes you will never know that