New-York tribune., 1920-10-10

; SNSHupec! (WnO come o. race
where the men, when, finding no time
to get meal, yet make time to get a
shave before they dream of presenting
themselves before the eyes of their
| women-folk) have seen this abomina-
tion of unshavenness; yea, in many edi-
tions. Further, have seen hands on
which diamond rings glittered but on
which the tinger-nails were edged with
grimy black.
Women Are Different
Perhaps l should have put all these
horrors down as necessary evil of
travel II the American. woman, travel
ing, were to be seen in slovenliness
equal to that of her mate. But never;
groomed, brushed, daintily hated and
powdered and manicured, fresh as if
she were attending an afternoon party,
the American woman sits amongst and
beside her men-folk of the lumpy
waists, the stubbly chins, the afro
ciously cut hair the accord don-creased
trousers"
Frankly. we do not care for this sort
OF comment 1t savors too highly Of
the personal. Visitors should confine
themselves to generalizations about the
Statue of Liberty the tall buildings Of
lower Manhattan, the green and yellow
lights of Fifth Avenue traffic. the cul-
ture Of Boston, the SCOT of Pittsburgh,
the winds Of Chicago, the bathing beau
ties of California. We are accustomed
to such talk and can meet it without
any loss Of equilibrium.
But waistlines and haircuts These
are not proper targets for the piercing
darts of visiting lady. A sleeping
car panorama is something to be OBJ
served, even by resident members of
the United States, with one eye closed
and the other half shut. The conf dence
of the Pullman is to be violated no
more than the confidence of the home.
Until one has attempted a shave with
the engineer trying to make up forty
minutes on the last stretch in, the
"stubbly chin" should be tolerated with
modest show of charity. And we
seriously question whether "this abomi-
nation of unshavenness" presents any
more undecorative features than the
woman with her hair still done up in
curl papers.
There is certainly much more than
rumor in the inference that English
men are better groomed than their Al
lied cousins. Any veteran of the A. L.
F. can tell of the immaculate sartorial
achievements Of English soldiers on
active duty, Of carefully creased
brceches and highly polished boots
cavorting about in the mud and filth
Of front-line positions. 1t is also part
and parcel of world history that Amer
lean doughboys actually went into the
thick of the last Battle Of the Marne
with the top half of their bodies COW
cred only by cheap Gssue) cotton un-
dershirt.
Such spectacle, we feel, would not
have pleased Mrs Ruck 1t might even
have blurred the magnificent frieze in
the gallery" Of her memory, formed by
the American soldiers who marched at
the head Of the Peace Day procession
in London.
However, it would hardly be fair to
Mrs. Ruck to quote her views on the
American man without some mention of
her more hattering opinion Of the
American girl.
"In America practically every girl
is pretty" she writes. Zone may walk
for mile without noticing any girl who
is unattractive, unalive-looking, un-
groomed." But
"Your compilations are not as good
as the rest Of you. Your voices
are so extraordinarily out Of keeping
with your looksl You are not
very gracious in your manner to work.
ing people"
An International Romance Spoiled
In spite of these indictments, Mrs.
Ruck devotes a chapter to discussing
the advisabiity of bringing her young
son up with the idea of taking an Amer
lean bride. She has about made up her
mind that such q union would be for
the best when some one warns her that
most American girls spoil their diges~
tive systems by absorbing too many ice
cream sodas at the corner drugstore
This closes the argument, the reader
being given to understand that the
health OF the future Rucks will not be
ieopardized by dyspeptic mother.
When at home before her desk, Ber-
Ia Rucks specially is the writing of
love stories, sweet. sentimental adven-
lures Of youth. Her most recent novel,
The Bridge Of Kisses, is published by
Dodd. Mead & Co. She Is also the
author Of Sweethearts Unmet and His
Official Fiancec.