Life, 1883-05-10 · page 5 of 16
Life — May 10, 1883 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis The left column discusses the New York Aldermen's action regarding the Brooklyn Bridge opening, referencing Queen Victoria and tensions between American and British sentiment. The aldermen passed resolutions criticizing British conduct. The right illustration, titled "An Adjustment," depicts a dialogue between a well-dressed couple and what appears to be a working-class man. The conversation—presented in capitalized dramatic dialogue—involves a young woman and man whose "difference" needs adjustment, apparently regarding class status. The man is described as "poor as ever" but willing to break with "the old man" for entertainment. The satire appears to mock class tensions and romantic entanglements across social boundaries, likely commentary on contemporary marriage/relationship debates. The specific individuals remain unclear without additional context, though the illustration satirizes attitudes toward class mobility and courtship in Gilded Age America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE ACTION OF THE NEW YORK ALDERMEN. (From THE Lonpon Times.) FFOR a long time well-informcc Englishmen have been aware of the feeling entertained by the New York Aldermen toward her Majesty, Queen Victoria, and the action of the Aldermen yesterday in regard to the opening of the Brooklyn ridge will be learned here without surprise. It is probable that those supporters of Mr. Glad- stone's ministry who, relying upon the sympathetic emotions that naturally would be awakened among Americans by the death of John Brown, have looked for a display of official weakness in the New York Aldermanic Board, will now be unde- ceived, We quote from the cable report of yes- terday’s proceedings: ALDERMAN MORIARTY: Oi move yez, sorr, that owin’ to the twinty-foorth av May bein’ the birthday av the Quane av England, some other day be selicted for tbe Opening of the Aste River Bridge. ALDERMAN O'SHEA; Oi sicond the risolution, in case the Chair as-sures me, that this procading is not overt. THE PRESIDENT: The Chair is av the opinion that the risolution is dacent, and rasonable, and in no sinse overt. Whin, in the coorse av human ‘evints, it be- comes nicissary for an Oirishman to act, thin he should spake. ALDERMAN O'SHEA: Thin, Mr, Prisident, Oi sicond the risolution av me collague, and Oi say it is a shameful thing, that a toyranical and indacint woman, loike the’ Quane av England, should be flaunted in the face av the Amirican paple. The resolution was carried unanimously. While England does not shun and does not fear the issue thus raised across the Atlantic, English- men must deplore the evanishment of certain hopes of reciprocal good feeling which have been en- couraged by Poole on this side of the water, and by Sir Cyrus Field and Washington Childs, Esq., on the other. From what exact time to date the rise of the bitter feeling in America toward Queen Victoria we do not very well know. The order promulgated by Her Majesty at the time when H. R. H. the Princess Louise held her first drawing room at Montreal, that all ladies should wear low-neck dresses, notoriously gave offence to the New York Aldermen, the wives of most of whom were present with high-neck dresses. Sug- gestions of the fallacy of the reasoning of the gentlemen that we have named were not lacking, either at the lamentable period marked by the injury to Her Majesty's knee, when the American ress teemed with flippant comments upon a mis- Fortune which might have ended in the necessity of wheeling about Her Majesty during the rest of Her existence in a roller-chair. Whatever the reason or whatever the indications marking the progress of this inimical feeling, the outcome of the present question is restricted to a small range. Either the Brooklyn Bridge will be opened onthe day set, or the day for the opening will be changed, or Her Majesty Queen Victoria will change her birthday. We await without tremor and without doubt the course of the British Government in this matter, We will add that a Queen who is born is born, and we do not credit that any alderman within the limit of the earth's circumference can knock that proposition end- wise. eh ic AN ADJUSTMENT. Dear me! Who is that girl? THAT 1S THE PRUDENT MAIDEN THAT WAS, And is that young fellow the poor young man? 'THE VERY SAME, Ah! They have adjusted their differences, have they not? WELL, RATHER. Has some one died? No: WEIS AS POOR AS EVER; BUT OF LATE IT HAS BEEN VERY DULL FOR HER; SHE REQUIRES DIVERSION. So they are engaged? OW YES, UNQUESTIONABLY. And does He require diversion too: NOT SO MUCH; BUT HE HAS A LITTLE PLEASURE IN STORE FOR HIM. What is that? He HAS GOT TO BREAK IT TO THE OLD MAN. Will that be fun? Yes, 1T WILL BE RARE SPORT. a comicbooks.com