South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-17
WOMAN REFUSES To
De MORAL CRUTCH
Writer of poor Little Rich
Girl" Believes There Are Too
Many Fences to Hedge Wom-
anklnd In.
BY NIxOLA GREELEY-sMTTH.
(COpyrighted. 1914 by the Newspaper
Enterprise AssOciation.)

Enterprise AssOciatiOn.)
Life" observed Eleanor Gates,
has too many fences-particularly
for women. 1 was born on a Dakota
cattle ranch, and until / was y, / had
never seen fences. can't say l miss
e0 them, either. But since 1 grew up
and came east and began TO write, I've
begun 10 think that for women, at
least, life is just one fence after an
other! You climb over one barrier
and there you are confronted by an
other. Just because you are a WOm-
an. For there are men who resent
genius in a woman, ana the moment
she pokes her head over a fence they
strike at it.
NOW, don't think | am anu-man-
I'm simply pro-woman. As a matter
of fact one sex has 'hogged every
thing worth while from the beginning.
It's about time the other sex had a
chance"
Eleanor Gates. personally. has had
her chance and prOfited DY it. Her
play, The Poor Little Rich Girl, was
one of the greatest successes in New
s. ork last season and her more recent
production, I'VE Are seven, is now
playing there.
Women have only recently sue
ceedcd as playwrignts," she informed
me, because, until a very few years
agO, ii a woman had a talent for dra-
matte writing, she usually spent 1t
boosting some man 10 the top.
When Man succeeds.
Men say, Find the woman when
they wish TO account for anything TO
mans discredit. But l say, Find
the woman almost always when
man makes a big success. Many
great man masquerades in person
atty that really belongs TO his wife.
1 could name a dozen sO-called great
men whose ideas would all be in their
wives names if the truth were known
about them, couldn't you?"
Naps not a dozen" 1 answered,
"but I know there is truth in what
you say. Man, who prides himself OF, on
being a tower of strength is really
very much of a leaner on his Wife
That topping tower of Pisa has moth
ing on him."
"Of course. women don't permit as
much leaning as they used to, Miss
Gates remarked.
mo. indeed" 1 agreed hopefully.
For instance. woman is no longer
willing TO be the moral crutch of the
world and to let man be the moral
cripple
"She can't afford TO be- answered
! the creator Of THE Poor Little Rich
! Girl she thinks now Of the chill
/ dren she may have and she realizes
! that it is not worth while to marry a
man to reform him. Even if you do
reform him-which is not likely-you
are liable TO bring half a dozen chill
! dren into the world that somebody
else will have to reform-or bury!
When a young girl thinks first OF
man as the possible father or her emil
dren instead of estimating him at his
value as a tango-dancer or. an eXpo-n-
ent Of the turkey-trot it Will be good
thing for her husband as well as LOT
her children. The more women
know on this subject of fatherhood,
the better."
"On the other hand" I interrupted
"there are women who do not want to
be mothers-wOmen absolutely de-
void of the maternal instinct when
so men foolishly believe is common
to cur entire sex. In my opinion GER
tain women are born with genius
for motherhood as certain as others
come into the world with a talent fol-
writing or painting.
But all women have the mother
ing instinct" Miss Gates repheo