Life, 1883-03-22 · page 7 of 16
Life — March 22, 1883 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "Forced Introspection" The cartoon depicts a musical party at the Von Highstoops residence where a foreign gentleman (identified as John Pyrites) is being introduced to the assembled guests. The satire centers on social pretension: Pyrites claims to be "cut off by the music from his usual diversions," suggesting he's a habitual carouser or rake separated from his typical entertainments. The joke targets both Pyrites's moral character and the host's gullibility in welcoming such a disreputable figure. The caption's sarcasm—praising this as "delightful"—underscores the absurdity of polite society accommodating a man of questionable virtue. The cartoon satirizes 19th-century social hypocrisy, where morally dubious individuals were nonetheless tolerated in respectable drawing rooms if they maintained appearances.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A BENEDICT CANTICLE. I. F all the insidious Temptations invidious, Contrived by the devil for pulling men down, There's none more delusive, Seductive, abusive, Than the snare to a man with a wife out of town. He feels such a delightfulness, Stay-out-all-night-fulness, Shall-I-get-tight?-fulness— T own it with pain!— A bachelor rakishness, What-will-you-take ness, Next-day’s-headache-ishness, None can explain! His wife may be beautiful, Tender and dutiful— ‘Tis not that her absence should cause him delight; But the cursed opportunity, Baleful immunity, Scatters his scruples as day scatters night. He feels whiskey-and-water-ful, Rapine-and-slaughter-ful, Nothing-he-ought-to-ful, To his toes’ ends; So bachelor-rally-some, Quite corps-de-ballet-some, Make-stories-talley-some With wicked friends. ll. He recalls pranks erratic In memories ecstatic; As wicked he feels as the bald heads in row, Who watch the stage dances With bold, sinful glances, And witness with glee the wild, bachanal show. He's possessed with a feel-fulness, A world-flesh-and-de’il-fulness, A make-the-stars-reel-fulness, Who could resist ? And he longs for the poker chips, For winks that the joker tips, For rings from the smoker's lips, Like a blue mist. Iv, While his wife, trusting lady, Is mourning, it may be, His lonely condition, so mournfully dull; He feels thrills energetic Towards places magnetic, Larks peripatetic, Joys far from ascetic, With many excuses his conscience to lull. With a take-every-trick-ishness, Full-as-a-tick ishness I'll-be-a-brick-ishness Though conscience frown; With a forth-let-us-steal-someness, Kick-up-our-heels-someness; There’s a wile of the de'il-someness, In a wife out of town. Mors-VIvENs. FORCED INTROSPECTION. Scene—Musical party at the Von Highstoops. Resident Foreign Gentleman to John Pyrites: Iv 1s a DELIGHT- FUL OCCASION ; I DO ASSURE MYSELF THAT YOU ENJOY IT. J. P. (who is cut off by the music from his usual diversions)! On, VES, VERY MUCH, THANKS; HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF SO MANY THINGS SINCE I WAS LAST AT CHURCH. , A vEER child—A fawn. THE young author's best Holt—Henry. ‘THE glory of a woman is another woman's hair. HE CAN AFFORD IT. ‘Tue Earl of Dudley, whose income from his various mines often amounts to more than $5,000,000, is in a condition bordering on imbecility.— Tribune. GOOD RESULTS. TuE recent political decision that a policeman shall be paid his full salary during any period of illness has resulted in 147 officers being reported “sick ” at the time when the last report was made. Usually 75 policemen are ill at one time. It may be expected that the death rate of New York city will decrease hereafter, as in a num- ber of precincts one man is obliged to cover two posts. The ratio of persons who die from natural causes, however, will necessarily in- crease. comicbooks.com