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Modern Realists Telling Only Half of Life Says Mrs. Peattie

"The modern realist whose work coptains all realism and no ideally is only telling half of her life," declared Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, dramatist and novelist, and former Omaha newspaperwoman, who read two of her one act plays, "Family Reunion," and " Wander Weed,' ' to 500 persons yesterday before the Omaha Woman;s Press club at the Fontenelle.

Mrs. Peattie reviewd books for the Chicago Tribune for twenty years, during which time she read on an average of eight to twelve books a week. "My reading covered a wide variety of work and during that time I never took a real vacation as I took my books with me whenever I left Chicago," Mrs. peattie said.

Discussing A. S. M. Hutchinson's novel, "This Freedom," Mrs. Peattie said she believed the woman in the story used no sense in her effors to rear her family and devote herself to a business career.

"I believe a woman can devote herself to the arts and still successfully raise a family," she said, " but I am not so sure about a business career. I brought up four children and worked on a newspaper and I am sure my worst enemies would admit that I was a pretty good housekeeper.

Mrs. Peattie said she liked Sinclair Lowis' "Babbit" much better [har?] his "Main Street." "It's a book with realism while at the same time it has some ideally," Mrs. Peattie said "Rabbitt had some idealism in him."

Mrs. Peattie is very fond of Willa Cather's work and she characterized "One of Ours," as a tremendous work. " The young man in the book who has searched in vain for the beauty in life in a commonplace environment finally finds it in death on a European battlefield.

"I am not a sentimentaifst nor romanticist," Mrs. Peattie said, "but I do not believe in overlooking the ideality in life that we can all see in our friends about us."

R. L. Metcalfe, adverising manage of Brandels store, recalled today a story written by Mrs. Peattie when she was employed by the World-Herald in the '90's. Mr. Metcalfe, at that time, was associate editor.

Mrs. Peattie was introduced at her apperance yesterday by Miss Eva Mahoney, president of the Press blub. Miss Mahoney is woman's department editor of the World-Herald. Mrs. Peattie, at the time she was with the World-Herald, was the entire department.