is for F.W. Ewing.  Some of the first gay personal ads to be published in America appeared, not in the clandestine newsletter of a secret fraternal society of sex radicals, but in a wholesome family magazine that was not only freely distributed but available even to young children, who were allowed -- indeed encouraged -- to advertise in its pages.  In 1946, F.W. Ewing brought out the inaugural issue of one of the most outrageous scams ever perpetrated in modern journalism, The Hobby Directory, the house organ of the National Association of Hobbyists for Men and Boys.  Consisting solely of personal ads, the magazine claimed that its mission was "to help its members find hobby friends," but in fact it really amounted to little more than a bizarre dating service. While many of the ads in the first few issues appear to have been placed by straight men filled with a legitimately burning passion for spelling reform and mineralogy or for collecting whiskey labels, match covers, or even cocktail stirrers, legions of gay men quickly infiltrated the Directory.  They didn't openly state their sexual preferences, of course, but communicated with each other in code, leaving a coquettish trail of self-incriminating clues.  For instance, they expressed a desire to meet other "bachelors," "single hobbyists," "servicemen," "ex-marines and sea-going swabbies" who could appreciate the exquisite handicrafts of nimble-fingered artisans, especially those engaged in the manly arts of crocheting, needlework, knitting, embroidery, ballet, nude sunbathing, and -- the most enigmatic hobby of all -- "adventure."