The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-09
THE VANITY OF MEN.
A Young Woman OF Observation Says They
Exceed the Women In that Quality.


Its all very well for you men to go talk
ing about woman's vanity, said ayoung woman
Of observation. " but it has been my experience
TO find that mon are Just rs vain as women. In
deed, | don't know III should be guilty OF a very
great detection from tho perpendicular Of
veracity II | were to say that men are more vain
than women. and that they have been raising
all this hue and cry about woman's besetting
sin 80 that they may escape from too marked
attention themselves. That's q very old thiers
trick, you know.
women do spend a great deal of time fixing
themselves. I admit l know lido, and I some
times feel ashamed of myself for 1t. But when
I find that this is the age OF the dedication Of
the body, under the nimsy preaching OF mems
sdnd IN eorpore emo. and that men require
their women folks TO be well groomed from the
toenails TO the tips OF the hair, why. Of course I
give In. But II all OF this Is vanity-and I'm
sure that q good deal of it Is ~vexation Of spirit
then you fellows are right In the Same boat with
the rest of us-there now.
"For what, pray, is there in the grand art Of
titivating which we do that you don't do. You
fellows are manicured and pedicured and cuti-
cured. and I don't know what else. You battle
every day. and quite right, too, and take n Turk
ish bath whenever you feellike IL. You give up
time either to shave yourselves or to be shaved,
and you rush avail to the barber Immediately
you see a struggling hair, on your, neck. You
have your moustarhes curled. and Jack tells mo
that he knows OF one fellow who sleeps with his
done up in pads; you fiddle over your hair and
cultivate long locks. little curls, the slick or the
poetic, according 70 your temperament or profess
zion. You keep the run OF new neckwear
and read up everything that Is said about col.
lars and cuffs. You raise the greatest fuss II
your shirts don't set exactly right, and talk like
"a lot OF female owls about the proper, cut for q
vest. You spend hours picking out clothes and
carry samples Of the goods around to show
your friends. You get a III OF heart sickness II
week, and the exact shape OF the toes or your
shoes Is a serious matter.
But, you say. all this Is simply following md
Keeping In with the fashions and rules OF health.
all vanity, Just so many exhibitions OF vanity.
And IL you want to CONS down 20 q narrower
definition and say that YOU mean pride OF person
and personal appearance. ] shall, again say that
It's part and parcel Of the same small feeling
that leads men to make believe they're looking
at things in the store windows when they're
really stealing q glimpse In the mirror at the
pie put mirrors In the hat stands which are in
tended TO hold mems things for IL IL was not
that they knew the fellows would want 70 see II
they had rumpled their dear hair in taking OF
at yourselves and preening yourselves like a lot
OF great birds.
Just let me give you n case in point. Last
night I went to dinner with a fellow that /
really had been thinking quite decently about.
l was doing my best 10 be pleasant, and thought
i was succeeding admirably, for he was one per-
petual smile. Surely, thought must be vastly
entertaining. when all at once ! found out the
dreadful truth lie was holding one Of the pol
ished plated knives In his hand 60, aud was
grlnning at the reflection OF himself In It all the
time. I'd like 10 know the woman that could
beat that as an exhibition OF vanity"