New Britain herald., 1930-03-04
Through Blindness, She Leaned
 To See ~-- and Became a Novelist

That is the message C: cheer to handicapped folk that Ruth Cross, little author from Texas, gives the world. Her story is one of slen- der, blue-eyed girl who took life's blows valiantly and learned tn It in a zero dark hour both charac- ter and ability are developed.
 Ruth Cross was born on a oig cotton and fruit plantation just outside of Paris, Tex. Hers was 8. quiet childhood, with riding, gardening, and all kinds of books to read out under the trees. She didn't care much for people. She lived with the heroines of the books she read. When she finished reading a novel, so thoroughly had she lived it that it was a shock to come back to real life.
 Nlisfo1tuncS Come DoubIy
 In her junior year at the Unt- versity of Texas, her familys for tunes were reversed and simul- taneously her eye-sight failed her. You will be blind for life if you use your eyes at all," q specialist told her.
 My sympathies at first were all for myself" Miss Cross spoke of that crisis. T felt I could not sur vivo a sentence that took my be- loved books away from me. Then realized that for my familys sakc l must ially. l would finish college some way. There must be work for mo that would not need my eyes,"
 Her tale Of how she finished the next year and a half, without sight, is a stirring tale. Hes friends rallied about her. With her eyes bandaged against the glare of the Texas sunlight, Ruth would listen while they took turns reading aloud to her. She would reconstruct from memory her Vic gil. her Goethe. When it seemed that she just could not get her lessons without seeing them. she would cry aloud to herself: 'i must remember. I will learn to see with my ears.'
 Turned to Writing
 She won her degree. Then came that terrific struggle of earning a living without taxing her eyes. She got a job teaching oral Latin and German. Then she learned the l touch system on a little portable typewriter. She would write sto- ries of life as she had learned it through contact with people. For Ruth Cross had discovered that the little every day tragedies of those about her, of her very own self, were of the stuff which makes novels
 1 Four years ago her first novel i became d best seller. In q single | week of it $ date of publication 1 this gallant young woman sold q vaudeville sklt that is still play l irg, got hearing on q play and received orders for five short sto- rics from the nations best paying periodicals. About the same time i her cyesight was restored. She still must guard against stral1 But she sees perfectly, now.
 Lived Many Places During the past four years, il almost seems as if life is making | compensation 10 Miss Cross. Sh, 1 has had d facinating time, livia. first in the south, then the middle west, then six months in Reno glv. ing spiritual support to a frient getting a divorce one of those very girls, by the way, who gave up her spring afternoons to req, to Miss Cross in college. In Cali fornia she met the man to whom she now is married
 They both like solitude so the, Winsted, Conn, and rebuilt tn house with their own hands. The, have planted the place in all tn evergreen native to the state an, Miss Cross's old-fashioned gard+. is known tar and wide. Each 0 them has a workroom and whei winter comes, instead of going t town, they lay by food and get tremendous kick out of bcini showed in. Last winter they ha' six feet of snow about them.
 How She Works
 Life has taught me the valu' Of steady 1outine." Miss Cros talked of her working day. ",S' We have carly breakfast, then stack the dishes and work iron 5-l2. After Il lunch left over fror dinner the night before, 1 stacl the dishes again and work thrc' more hours. l use the daylight 70 my writing. When late afternoon comes, l mlke the beds, sweep bake, dust and get a hearty dime Which we eat in leisurely manner Then l wash the wishes and m, husband wipes them. When sprin; breaks, l use an hour of my work ing day, at least, in my garden For l have found that working il old Mother Earth is the most in spirational thing I can do. Mos :; Of my characters take shape anon; my flowers.
 Miss Cross'5 face is a study l. contentment. Her clear eyes haf ; q Sentleness and an acceptance U life that seems born of her tribu lations. In her new book, "E,n chantment," just out. she trans mits some of her sound philosopb of life, a bit of the humor that both a little rueful and quite
 little gay. She sums up her req view of life when she says:
 Tragedy and comedy arc tn reverse sides of coin we ar
 given to spend. It is up to us [ get our moneys worth, in th spending"
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