The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-23
ABOUT COMP ExIONS
CORRESPONDENT RAISES AN IN
TERESTlNG POINT
Wants to Know If a Good Complexion
Is Not Great Help Toward Success
in Life-Is Willing to Make Some
Effort to Attain 1t, but Can't Do All
Beauty Doctors Recommended.

Dear Marie: would like to know
Whether there are really any women in
the world who do all the things sug-
gested by the beauty doctors, the phys
zeal culturists and others who write adj
vice for the Sunday papers? 1t seems
to. me that If a woman tried to do half
what these people tell her to it would
take all day and all night, too. How
ever, I am convinced that diet and ex-
ercise have a great deal to do with
ones appearance, and 1 think every
woman should take at least an hour
day in which to attend to her skin, hair
and finger nails. But as for the hot
water, massage steaming and other
processes which, according to these
writer's, are Indispensable, well, I for
one would not be bothered. However,
do you really think woman can make
a success in life without a good COM
plexion? believe a good complexion is
one of the greatest blessings, don't
you? Ignorant Woman.
Well, to tell the truth, the woman'S
department has never thought much Of
compilations in connection with sue
cess in life, but now that we come to
think of it, a good complexion is not
a thing to be shifted at. However, it is
the mature judgment of this depart
ment that in the ultimate analysis,
other things have more to do with sue
cess than complexion. But then this is
an amateur opinion, for as we remark
ed when this department was started,
what we did not know about complex
che
things that women are supposed to be
most interested in, would fill a large
book. Far be it from this department
to lay down any rules about successes
in life, compilations, or any other such
important subjects. A good complexion
is indeed an excellent thing, but does 1t,
after all. have much influence upon the
real things of life? A good complexion
will not make your friends love you
any more. For you might have a skin
of superlative beauty and vacuum in
your mind. On the other hand, you
might have a poor complexion and be
so very agreeable that your company
would be preferred to the complexion
above mentioned. A man might be at
tracted to woman by a good COM
plexion-might, we think it is doubtful
but no woman was ever married for
the beauty of her skin. Again the opin-
ion of one who is not an expert In the
complexion business. Since receiving
the above letter we have begun to won
der if indeed compilations do not play
larger part in life than we had
dreamed of.
In regard to the advice In the Sunday
papers about what to do for ones
skin, it is the belief Of this department
that there are some women who
spend few hours a day with their
faces covered with raw beefsteak not
to mention other things they do, all
for the benefit of their complexion, but
of course they are not busy women.
When you see a woman who looks old
er than her years but dressed youth
fully, you may know that she does all
these things. That is the little joke
that nature plays on the woman who
considers retaining her youth the all
absorbing question of her life.
If woman would keep busy, forget
all about her age, and whether or not
she shows it, wash her face with soap
and water once or twice day and in
terest herself in the happiness and well
fare of other people, the very young
or the very old, her face will be quite
well enough and she will get much more
out Of life than If she wastes her time
fussing about her complexion. This is
not saying that the Sunday papers are
not good reading; they are; and on the
woman's page in the Sunday Clio e
you will find matters of greater i'm
port than your complexion. If you have
good skin be thankful, If a poor one
do not make yourself and everybody
round you miserable because of it.
Now we are sure that If our corre-
spondent had ever been very busy and
the days not long enough for all she had
to do, she would cut down that hour
she thinks each woman should devote