The Washington herald., 1917-10-26
WHICH is THE VAIN SEX?
by DOROTHY DIX.
The Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer

A man and a woman were discus
sing the subject of vanity.
"Of course women are vainer than
men," said the man, there's no
doubt about 1t. 1t is proved to you
at every turn. Look at the depart
ment stores with their acres and acres
| of space devoted to the doc dabs
and fiummery of women. whereas a
measly little corner sufices to hold
the plain and necessary apparel Of
men! Look at the shops that line
every street-millinery shops. frock
shops. fur shops, jewelry shops. all
| catering to the.vanity of woman, with
only here and there a lonesome little
store that apologetically offers shoes,
shirts or suits to man!
why, three-fourths OF the money
in the world is spent on gratifying
the vanity of women, and half of
the work of the world is done TO
minister to her passion for adorning
herself 1t is for women. not men,
that divers risk their lives to bring
up pearls from the bottom of the
sea, asl miners ourrow in the earth
velvets and brocades are woven, and
eyes are put out making lace and
fine embroideries.
What is the first thing that
women ever thinks of He looks
She never forgets how she looks for
an instant. On the way to the altar.
or the electric chair. or the funeral
of her nearest and dearest, she will
powder her nose and get out her lip
stick. Just on the of chance of it's
improving her appearance she'll go
through a martyrdom of suffering that
man wouldn't endure to insure him
immortality, as witness the spectacle
we see every day OF fat old middle
aged women doing without every
thing they like to eat and drink, and
going through exercises that are a
torture TO them, in order to try to
reduce and acquire a willowy figure.
You never catch any man starving
himself because a straight front figure
is handsomer than one built on the
bay window style of architecture
furthermore, women conclusively
prove that they are the vain sex by
being perfectly willing to risk their
lives for the sake Of their looks
Let a woman have a little foot
and to show 1t off to the best ad-
vantage she will slop around in snow
and sleet, in paper soled pump and
thin silk stocking, though she is
perfectly aware that she is defying
death every time she does it. Let her
have pretty neck and shoulders and
she'll exhibit them in public with no
other protection than a pearl necklace,
no matter how cold the weather Is or
how draughty the theater or restaur-
ant, nor what chance she takes on
pneumonia every tine she does it.
And finally. It's woman's vanity
that makes her lie about her age and
pretend to be ten or twenty years
younger than she is, and paint roses
on her cheeks after those put there
by nature have faded. and dye her
hair, and act kitterish after she is
old enough to be grandmother.
And it's vanity that makes women
put higher value on looks than any
other quality in the world. There isn't
woman alive who IL given her choice
between beauty and brains, wouldn't
take beauty without even stopping to
think. It's her one best bet. Whereas
men put intelligence before looks and
devote more time to everything else
in the world than they do to their per-
sonal appearance. You don't see any
Beauty Shops run for men. They are
all for women.
Yes" added the man triumphantly,
''the preacher was right All is
vanity. and vanity's other name is
woman"
There is much in what you say"
replied the woman, but the fact that
woman devotes so much time ard
thought and money to her appearance
while man deyotes little to his, shows
that man is vainer than woman. be-
cause 1t proves that nan thinks that
he is such a MASTERPIECES as nature
turned HIM out that he does not need
any dressing up or improving, whereas
woman recognizes that she Is a poo.
inferior creature who must resort to
every are of camoufiage IL she is to
present an attractive appearance.
Instead of mans clothes being. an
Illustration of mans lack of vanity,
they are a triumph of vanity. Lcok
at him. A lot Of tubular garments
about as ornamental as sections of
stove pipe or concret water mains.
Surely men as sex would make
some effort to make their raiment
easier on the eyes unles they were
convinced that eyere mofher,, sar -