Evening star., 1926-08-18
Kiln Hollywood.

LII HUGH Eliza beth again
~ s:s Ss;S:f e xsS: xs;: + 1:s E: iii" ii IN NJ
hospital in Austin. she did
not lose ground: in fact, she gained,
Tor upon examination. insisted upon
by the incredulous school principal,
she was found to be ready for the
latter half OF the seventh grade. al
though she had been in the first half
OF 1t only one month.
I can't imagine how she did 1t. I
have never been able to understand
how she accumulated actual book
learning SO much faster than other
children, when she received no help
at all outside Of the schoolroom. The
only explanation | have ever been
able to get from Elizabeth herself
was:
"Oh, read to the end of the hook.
instead of just where we're supposed
to bA'
minutes to master a lesson in any
text book, she employed the remain
ing minutes of her study periods in
reading ahead Of her class. and In
trying her hand at arithmetic prob
lens which looked fascinatingly hard,
away at the end of the book.
! think she did 1t to keep from be-
ing bored: | know she had no definite
plan to get ahead Of the others. for
she has never seemed to he at all am
bilious In fact. all of her school life
she mas apparently never studied
reASiy hard, has never studied At
home until her senior year at high
school. and has never been detected
by Any teacher in the act of dig
An 8-Year-OId HOusekeeper.
7 remained In the hospital in Aus
tin for four interminable months.
major operation being performed
after ] had been there eight weeks.
MY doctors had taken 1t upon them
selves to resign for me my position
with the Texas newspaper syndicate
soon after I went to the hospital. and
when went to Waco in May, 1t was
as iobless. almost penniless, very
weak and thin Young woman. yearn-
ing for a sight of her child. The syn
dictate had generously paid my salary
the whole time | was in the hospital,
or I could never have weathered the
dreadful period
Although school would not close
for another month. | could not wait
in Waco for that event. Elizabeth
WAS given special examinations on
her high seventh grade work. and
passed them brilliantly. making her
usual A average. She was then
Just Si2 years old. She had taken
her first course in domestic science
sewing and cooking-and was Juhi-
liant over her accomplishments In
biscuit making, iebaking and apron
designing. | shall never forget the
look Of neffahle JOY with which she
watched me eat wedge OF pumpkin
pie made by her own small hands.
Two of the teachers wept when
they told her good bye. and the
seventh grade children showered her
with fruit and flowers. 1t is day
that stands out glowingly in my
memory. for II proved to me that my
child was winning her way into other
hearts. not AS precocious mental
freak hut as lovahle. loving and
considerate person. For the first time
in her school life she had been whole
heartedly accepted. by her school
mates, not as A baby. hut as an equal.
Goes te California.
had been ordered by the doctors
10 go To California for my health. but
had been advised not to try to take
care nf Eliza aheth during the summer.
was to concentrate on getting WeH,
and II was easy for them to see that
I loved Eliza beth too much to take
my responsibilities toward her lightly.
My relationship. by correspondence,
with my former husbands family,
whom | admired enormously. had
never been severed. II was on the in
vitation of her paternal grandparents
that Elizabeth stopped off in New
Mexico for long visit, while con
tinued on my way to California.
Her letters were full of her exciting
new life. Once she wrote me, quite
casually. Il rode over to the Aliens
ranch today. all by myself. 1t is five
miles. l galloped my horse" And !
had not known that she could ride.
Other letters told of her milking cows,
of fishing in the windmill pond. of
helping her grandmother can fruit
and vegeta bles, of driving many miles
across country to market cream, but
ter and eggs.
So strong an impression did the
ranch life make upon her that three
years later. when she was ! and
Junior in high schooI-the Gardner
School for Girls. New York City. from
which she was graduated in May Of
this year-she wrote a 3.h00-Word
short story. called "HomeSteaders,'
realistic story of the West. which was
published in her school annual, Mile
stones. The heads of the school pro-
nounced il the hest short story ever
published in the annual
In the meantime. | was gaining
strength rapidly. I went to Caltfor
MIA weighing only "a pounds. but with
in three months had reached lis. l
had only one friend in Los Angeles
a college chum It was impossible to
get work on the newspapers. for the
length of their waiting list of report
ers seeking work is famous all over