Page:Personal Beauty and Racial Betterment.djvu/91

 Rh the female body to the public gaze, and will pass off as such exhibition becomes more commonplace.

At first glance, the damage done to the race by the selection of public entertainers from the female sex, seems incurable. The public will have its entertainment, and there will be more extensive selection and more efficient selection, rather than less. It is not however certain that the present results are necessary, and possibly with better economic conditions, and higher social ideals, we may have our beautiful entertainers and their progeny too. If for example, a girl goes on the stage at eighteen and at twenty-five retires, marries, and bears a number of children, no harm is done. If this were the normal life-history of dancers and chorus girls, their selection would tend to improve the racial stock, instead of causing deterioration. Unfortunately, the usual story at present is far from the realization of this ideal.

The profound changes now occurring in our industrial and domestic conditions are rapidly increasing a sort of matrimonial antiselection which is relatively new in the world. With the entry of women in significant numbers into the arts, industries, and professions, a new nonparental class is established. Many self-supporting women eventually marry, but many do not, and the permanently celibate class will probably increase in relative numbers in the future. To a certaint