ecome famous instead of
being a newspaper woman in a one-horse town."

A big city newspaper man was talking. He was in our town on an
assignment, and he was idling away spare time in our office. Before
I could answer, the door opened and a small girl came to my desk.

"Say," she said, "Mama told me to come in here and thank you for
that piece you put in the paper about us. You ought to see the
eatin's folks has brought us! Heaps an' heaps! And Ma's got a job
scrubbin' three stores."

The story to which she referred was one that I had written about a
family left fatherless, a mother and three small children in real
poverty. I had written a plain appeal to the home people, with the
usual results.

"That," I said, "is one reason that I am staying here. Maybe it
isn't fame in big letters signed to an article, but it's another
kind."

His face wore a queer expression; but before he could retort another
caller appeared, a well-dressed woman.

"What do you mean," she declared, "by putting it in the paper that I
served light refreshments at my party?"

"Wasn't it so?" I meekly inquired.

"No!" she thundered. "I served ice cream, cake and coffee, and that
makes two courses. See that it is right next time, or we'll stop the
paper."

Here my visitor laughed. "I suppose that's another reason for your
staying here. When we write anything about a person we don't have to
see them again and hear about it."

"But," I replied, "that's the very reason I cling to the small town.
I want to see the people about whom I am writing, and live with
them. That's what brings the rewards in our business. It's the
personal side that makes it worth while, the real living of a
newspaper instead of merely writing to fill its columns."

In many small towns women have not heretofore been overly welcome on
the staff of the local paper, for the small town is essentially
conservative and suspicious of change. This war, however, is
changing all that, and many a woman with newspaper ambitions will
now have her chance at home.

For ten years I have been what may be classified as a small town
newspaper woman, serving in every capacity from society reporter to
city and managing editor. During this time I have been tempted many
times to go to fields where national fame and a larger salary