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Writer Who Comes Here to Lecture Says Babies Her Greatest Happiness

Mrs. Elia W. Peattie

Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, novelist, critic and dramatist, and former Omaha newspaper woman, is to appear at the Fontenelle hotel at 4 p.m. Friday, under auspices of the Woman's Press club to read two of her plays, "The Wander Reed," and "The Family Reunion." She will also give a brief talk about her plays and will read some of her poems, there being a continuity between the two.

Older residents of Omaha who knew and loved Mrs. Peattie will be interested to read a bit of biographical data written by Mrs. Peattie, herself. She wrote it at the request of the "New York Review" club of Omaha, an organization no longer in existence. In the article Mrs. Peattie wrote as follows:

"I grew up in a sad little Michigan town without even a pond or a hill. My father built a small frame house and we lived there. Later, he erected a great brick mansion. It was never finished. I used to wander around in the great rooms and dream of splendor; but I never realized my dreams. Something like this happened again and again, wherever we lived. I was always living in grand rooms and not having clothes enough not amusements, nor books, nor company or education.

"At 13 I left school to help my mother and we drudged in the kitchen of the many fine, badly heated, half furnished houses in which we lived. I never had a carpet on my floor nor a stove in my room. My young womanhood was passed in a small place on Lake Michigan in an equally icy mansion without society. Books began to come to me then for I had met Mr. Peattie. After a time, we were married and lived in a culdesac in Chicago where we were poor and warm and well fed and happy.

"In Chicago I got my first glimpse of the world, for I was sent here and there all over the country after I began my newspaper work. When I went to Omaha I was intensely interested. There was something about the place that appealed to me. There was a chance to do many formative things. I tried in my own untrained way and with more disinterestedness than less impulsive people could understand, to do some of that work. I knew afterward that I made as many enemies as friends and I suppose I must have been a perfect nuisance.

"But anyway it was the breath of life, I had splendid visions even if I executed foolishly and poorly. When Mr. Peattie's long illness came, I had to care for my family. I got well in harness and my poor talent, which had once been so expectant, began to droop until it was all by invisible."

Those who are informed will challenge Mrs. Peattie's statement that her talent ever dropped Her subsequent writings placed her well up in the literary ranks of America.

Writer Who Comes Here to Lecture Says Babies Her Greatest Happiness

Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, novelist, critic and dramatist, and former Omaha newspaper woman, is to appear at the Fontenelle hotel at 4 p.m. Friday, under auspices of the Woman's Press club to read two of her plays, "The Wander Reed," and "The Family Reunion." She will also give a brief talk about her plays and will read some of her poems, there being a contunuity between the two.

Older residents of Omaha who knew and loved Mrs. Peattie will be interested to read a bit of biographial data written by Mrs. Peattie, herself. She wrote it at the request of the "New York Review" club of Omaha, an organization no longer in existence. In the article Mrs. Peattie wrote as follows:

"I grew up in a sad little Michigan town without even a pond or a hill. My father built a small frame house and we lived there. Later, he erected a great brick mansion. It was never finished. I used to wander around in the great rooms and dream of splendor; but I never realized my dreams. Something like this happened again and again, wherever we lived. I was always living in grand rooms and not having clothes enough not amusements, nor books, nor company or education.

"At 13 I left school to help my mother and we drudged in the kitchen of the many fine, badly heated, half furnished houses in which we lived. I never had a carpet on my floor nor a stove in my room. My young womanhood was passed in a small place on Lake Michigan in an equally icy mansion without society. Books began to come to me then for I had met Mr. Peattie. After a time, we were married and lived in a culdesac in Chicago where we were poor and wamr and well fed and happy.

"In Chicago I got my first glimpse of the world, for I was sent here and there all over the country after I began my newspaper work. When I went to Omaha I was intesely interested. There was something about the place that appealed to me. There was a chance to do many formative things. I tried in my won intrained way and with more disinterestedness than less impulsive people could understand, to do some of that work. I knew afterward that I made as many enemies as friends and I suppose I must have been a perfect nuisance.

"But anyway it was the breath of life, I had spledid visions even if I executed foolishly and poorly. When Mr. Peattie's long illness came, I had to care fro my family. I got well in harness and my poor talent, which had once been so expectant, began to droop until it was all by invisible."

Those who are infromed will challenge Mrs. Peattie's staement that her talent ever dropped Her subsequent writings placed her well up in the literary ranks of America.