II

men and love

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THE late Frank Howard, an old- time tattooerand circus exhibit, used to say that tattoos to sailors, soldiersand miners were what my lady's ribbon had been to theknights of yore- a love token. Professor Jack, formerly of theSouth Street waterfront in New York, affirmed that in fourcases out of five the real reason for tattooing among men islove fever. Woman is uppermost on man's epidermis as well asin his mind. With characteristic pertinacity she has managedto get on his skin as well as under it. One of the most populartattoo- designs even to this day is Charles Dana Gibson's fam-ous picture of a woman," The Eternal Question," the hairswirled with devilish ingenuity into the curve of an interro-gation mark.

It works both ways. If he loves her, he expresses the abun-dance of his heart in suitable designs. If he hates her, he stilldoes. An American army officer had tattooed over his heartthe name" Mary," with a lover's knot. Six months later hecame to the same tattooer and asked him to add in boldletters:" Traitress." Variation: a young man had a heart ta-tooed on his skin, together with his lady- love's name. Two

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