Life, 1883-01-04 · page 9 of 18
Life — January 4, 1883 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 5 This page contains a serialized romantic narrative poem titled "Life," not a political cartoon. The illustration shows two Victorian-era figures in conversation—a young man and woman in an interior setting. The poem presents a social critique of class barriers to romance. The dialogue addresses why the young couple cannot marry: the man lacks sufficient income (his grandmother's estate provides only 3 pounds annually). The poem's conclusion reveals the man "fell a crusader in Palestine land"—suggesting he died in a distant conflict, preventing the relationship entirely. The satire targets the economic obstacles preventing marriage among young people of the era, where financial security rather than love determined matrimonial possibilities. The tragic ending underscores the social injustice of such constraints.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHAT HINDERS. Does the young man love the girl? Oh, so much ! Will he tell her so? Not he. Why not? Because he is not prepared to follow it up. State the case. Letyx—his income, of which 3x is given to him, and the rest is earned. It costs him for himself alone 5x, yearly, to live, and heis very careful. His grandmother is dead. If he should marry he would have to live in Hoboken and black his own boots. And he could not buy any more flowers. What is best for him to do? It is best for him to move on. And does the young girl think so? No, but she will, presently. Would it not have been lucky for these young people if they had been born poor ? Every time. ESTRANGED. IR Hubert, Montressor, Fitz Eustace, Montrose, From the crown of his head to the tips of his toes Was as doughty a warrior as never knew fear ;— Provided no foe was unpleasantly near. 5 ‘The Lady Alicia, Edith, De Vere, In birth, wit and beauty had never a peer. Her fortune was large and she was not to blame If her feet might be characterized as the same. Sir Hubert was handsome, was gallant, was young ; In a baritone voice, he his madrigals sung. It could not be termed, with veracity pure, But an one was deaf, one could barely endure, The Lady Alicia, ’tis needless to say, Had suitors in plenty, for favors to pray. A smile, or a word was sufficient award To make its recipient as proud asa lord Sir Hubert was ogled by maiden and dame; The story, wherever he went, was the same. They languished and anguished ; they sighed and they pined : And hated each other it may be divined. But Lady Alicia, smile as she might, Had never a ghost of a grin for our knight ; And Hubert, though ‘singing by night and by day, "Neath Alicia’s casement ne'er warbled a lay. It might have been scorn, and it might have been pique, That blushes for him never mantled her cheek, It might have been pique, and it might have been scorn. That love in his heart for her never was born. Be that as it may, he ne'er sued for her hand, But fell a crusader in Palestine land. Be that as it may, she was wed to an Earl, Arousing the envy of many a girl. No sign from the lady !—tio word from the knight ! But who knows the torture their hearts held from sight? Love’s secrets are sacred; so draw we the veil, And leave them to rest in oblivion’s pale. Nore.—In the writer’s private opinion (please enclose stamp for same!), the principal reason they did not coalesce, was that while he died in 1300 and something, the was not born till 1848. Still this is mere conjecture. comicbooks.com