The Washington times., 1915-02-03
Natural Instinct of Women Is Creation of the
Beautiful Says Percy Mackaye, Poet-Dran1atist
Social Settlement Work and
Work for Civic Better
ment Includes Many of
Opportunities Offered d
Women Who Are Born
Artists, Says Writer.

all artistic" he continued. They
are naturally so. The glamour o. 'no
mother. the soul OF art clines 10
them. Now all men and women are
just grown-up children. Shoulu not
they have art? -,
but the art Is all shut up IN
museums, In galleries. for MN 10
look at! He would NO more dare
himself than he would dare to VIC
late any other OF the silly tradi-
according TO the lines which he.
man, has laid out for himself. He
has gone drunk with his own con
ception OF himself, and ,,,.s ians ab,cb 70
he has neglected. beauty. Is near
by. but all unseen because OK MS
blindness. Simply because he does
not admit woman. the great artist.
as a partner in his plans.
80 when he wishes to arouse COM
I have done for YOU he prepares
a parade. This gives him oppor-
tunity to solidify. through publicity.
the community spirit. but does ne 90
IL? What do the people think about
when they see the man-madc pa
rade? They think about the men
in Il. and how they got their Jobs
and whether or not there Is any
possibility Of their getting one for
themselves. They do not think that
this is an expression OF community
success for which they should be
thankful and which they should
strive to improve upon with every
mon.
But on the other hand. take the
suffrage parade or the st. Louis
pageant which. by the way. was
conceived in the mind Of woman.
Miss Charlotte Rumbold. The
people who saw either one Of those
sage conveyed in beautiful form.
They were taught history. taught
what Was done and what was need
ed and what was hoped for"
srayed. shook with the fervor Of his
Temtrks ment ts ans s%e he Rer fGa %e
silence he spoke again. still half
smiling, and he has a broad. sensible
smile. too.
"Of course" the half smile turned
into a full f,edged one, and the up
permost expression was Just plain
amusement and depth OF humor.
strangely satisfying to find In
poet
OF coursS" he repeated. some
body will c>hrp up and say. why
are women such great artists? II
they are. where are the great wom-
en- geniuses Of art?'
Woman Greatest Artist.
And in answer to SO narrow
minded a view say that all women
are greater artists than all men.
Women an race are far better
artists than men as race could
ever be. Women. with all their
talent. have never had the fair
chance to be great artists. They are
continually casting their genius to
the four winds. II expends itself in
hundred million forms Tor the
good OF their families. Men can
marc art their sole object, ana have
done IL through generations after
generation. Women haye never been
able. generation after generation.
TO devote themselves 10 one par
ticular thing outside OF their homes.
Woman Is the natural creator. She
likes 10 make, and have which she
has made admired. she is so great
an artist that she spends ideas like
water. Her home. her children, her
care of herself. her desire 10 make
things look pretty il an expression
OF art which. as race. she supreme.
ly possesses. Men even force the
themselves as a race!
The word art. to 60 back to the
main idea. is rightly one which the
average citizen has no respect tor.
1t has meant purely static or IN
divdual things. or some man In a
studio doing something for himself
or his friends. But art, correlated
with social service, comes to have
a community meaning. 1t Is an ca
preston OF the practical and OF the
beautiful. and shows the average
man, who has hitherto been but n
knocker at the gate of beauty. an
admircr, perhaps, ashamed TO admit
his passion, how to love beauty and
to become a producer OF 1t in some
form, however humble.s
And what race, what human being.
what agent is more qualified to heal
the blind. and teach beauty to man,
than woman, the instructive. the
supreme artist?"
The interview was over. and hav-
ing had nothing but nice things said
about woman for one hour. l had
conceit enough to last forever.