Page:Personal Beauty and Racial Betterment.djvu/59

Rh The pretty woman is she who possesses certain of the characters of beauty, but in such combination that they are not an indication of the general potentiality requisite for beauty. The characters of prettiness are the characters of beauty which promise least for the stamina of the race. Without extensive analysis of these signs the distinction may be summed up by saying that a pretty woman might be the man’s choice for a mate, but not, other considerations being subordinated, for the mother of his children.

There is doubtless a valid distinction in types of men, corresponding to the distinction between “beautiful” and “pretty” women, but it is practically unimportant because of the singleness of woman’s judgment. Men, however, are as a sex strongly interested in pretty women as well as in beautiful ones.

On this point, certain observations on theatrical performances, especially musical comedies, are illuminating. Details are too lengthy to introduce here; but in brief, the types represented by the show girl and the dancers are necessary to give the chorus (the foundation of the show) the widest appeal to the males. This is a fact of practical importance to producers, and I have found no difficulty in obtaining abundant introspective confirmation from men of all classes. Some men are interested almost exclusively in the type of show