It is often said that men prize a womans appearance above all else. According to this belief, the ideal woman should be tall, with long legs, fair hair, always cheerful and smiling. But is that truly the way of things? Of course, looks catch the eye first, but they are certainly far from the most vital quality.
I remember once, a good many years ago, I had a friend called Charles. We both worked at the same firm in London. One day, a new colleague joined the office, turning quite a few heads. Honestly, she looked every bit the image of Claudia Blakethe kind of woman youd expect on the cover of Vogue. Long legs, a dazzling white smile, and a figure that would make any man take notice. Naturally, Charles was quite taken with her.
As the weeks went by, I noticed she seemed equally interested in Charles. On one occasion, she arrived at work carrying a rather hefty bag. Charles, ever the gentleman, offered to help her carry it home. She accepted cheerfully, and he felt luck was finally smiling on him. An hour after work, however, Charles rang me up, utterly beside himself.
Later, he told me what had happened. When he stepped into her flat, he was nearly floored. The place reeked as if something had gone off and died weeks ago. Rubbish was piled high, and every surface was smothered with clutter. Spoiled food was scattered about, not just on the floor but even in the bed. To make things worse, there were maggots crawling across the kitchen table.
Charles nearly lost his stomach right then and there. To her, though, it all seemed perfectly normal. After witnessing all that, Charles confided that he could never look at her beauty the same way again. What truly matters in a woman, he concluded, is her sense of cleanliness and care for her homefar more than just a pretty face.
