Life, 1883-02-15 · page 14 of 16
Life — February 15, 1883 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several brief satirical pieces typical of 19th-century American humor magazines: **"Street Colloquy"**: A short dialogue mocking social convention—a man admits his wife finds him "horrid," yet the acquaintance accepts this without concern, highlighting the era's detached politeness about domestic unhappiness. **Philadelphia Tobacco Advertisement Satire**: Life ridicules a tobacconist's claim that his cigars calm husbands' "turbulent dispositions." The accompanying verse sarcastically suggests smoking is the only remedy when romantic passion fades—reducing marriage to empty comfort rather than genuine connection. **"The Wolf and the Honest Farmer"**: An Aesop-style fable mocking rural naiveté. A farmer foolishly trusts a wolf's promise of reward, later loses money to a con artist selling fake "wolf scalps." The moral: country people are easily swindled by city schemes. **"Progress and Congress"**: A pun contrasting the words; the early worm metaphor suggests those who expose themselves (to scrutiny or danger) get destroyed. The overall tone is cynical—about marriage, rural simplicity, and human nature.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
STREET COLLOQUY. “Holloa, Smith, how are you?” 7 “ Pretty well, thank you. “ How are you at home ?” “Well, my wife says I'’m— horrid.” “ Observing person—that wife of yours, Smith.” “Seems so.” “Good day.” “So long.” One Roc, tobacconist in Philadelphia, exhibits in front of his store a placard which reads: “ Ladies are requested “to note carefully the pleasing “effect that the smoking of “ Roig’s cigars has upon their “husbands’ turbulent disposi- “ tions.” Thus we discover, When flame of the lover Begins to burn low, There’s but one quid-pro-quo. It’s plain for such folk, There is nothing but smoke. THE BEAR’S VALENTINE, THE WOLF AND THE HONEST FARMER. AX Honest Farmer having taken a Wolf in a trap was preparing to knock it upon the head, when the poor animal besought his clemency, adding that if he would spare its life it would upon the morrow guide him to a lupine orphan asylum, where he could obtain enough wolf scalps to deplete the county treasury. The silly gull falling in with this proposition, the wolf departed, never to return again, and the farmer, determined to retrieve his losses, went to New York and paid a mysterious gentleman seven hundred dollars for a neatly made-up package of sawdust. Moral.—A Wolf in the Trap is Worth Two in the Bush. A/so.—It’s a Cold Day when an Honest Farmer does not get Left. G. T. L. Tue difference between Progress and Congress.—Pro and Con. Whata nice little London gentleman, i y is g i i Lay i Nov ar ALL. THis UPTLE MAN Oy (i Ir is the early worm that is gobbled by the morning bird. The moral is HAS NEVER BEEN AWAY FROM AMER. ODVIOUS. Ica! Dear me! Dear me! Very surpris~ a . ‘ ing! What a remarkable manikin T'HE person who went to great lengths is said to have returned in very it ts, straightened circumstances. comicbooks.com