Life, 1883-08-23 · page 10 of 16
Life — August 23, 1883 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Stress of Weather" - Life Magazine Satire The main cartoon depicts a beggar approaching a well-dressed woman, claiming unemployment since winter due to his trade: "shovelling' snow." The satire is obvious—snow shoveling is seasonal work, so his complaint is absurd. The humor lies in the beggar's obliviousness to why winter employment ended naturally. Below are brief witticisms mocking various social absurdities: the watering cart preventing dust, gymnasts being "active," and the Newport Hunt's wealthy riders wishing for horses they can't afford. The right column contains "Why?" by Will Lampton, a poem criticizing poets for using flowery language and lies (calling plain-faced Ruth golden-haired, describing unpleasant mornings as "Aurora's coming") rather than truthful description. The satire targets Romantic poetic conventions as dishonest corruption of youth. The letter excerpts above appear to be serialized social gossip, typical of Life's satirical commentary on upper-class society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ze CEES STRESS OF WEATHER. DEAR, LADY, PLEASE HELP AN UNFORTUNATE MAN, NO WORK AT MY TRADE SINCE LAST WINTER. Poor MAN! WHAT Is YOUR TRADE? SHOVELLIN’ SNOW, MUM. ‘THe watering cart saves many a man from biting the dust. Members of gymnastic societies are usually all active members. Jupcinc by the Newport Hunt, if wishes were horses many men would n’t be able to ride them. ALL roads lead to roam. (Continued from page 89.) water-lilies with only his card. I must hurry and arrange them to wear at the hop to-night. G. P. S.—Cecil—Mr. Randolph, I mean, has just asked me to dance the german with him, If it wasn’t that I_ know Archie is dying to explain himself [ would accept. G. P. S.—Mamie has just come—come in and says—says * * Mamie says that Arch—oh! I cannot * * G. 8 PLM. Dear Lurie: Poor Gwen is suf- fering very much. with a headache, and asked me to add a postscript to her letter. She wishes me: to say that Mr, Archibald Ten Broeck’s engagement to Miss Van Salmon was confidentially announced to my mo- ther this evening by Mrs. Van Sal- mon. She will eagerly receive you on Monday at the dock. Although she feels quite badly, she has accepted to dance the german this evening with Mr. Cecil Randolph and I must help her to dress. I am sorry I leave Mon- day before you arrive, but we will meet in Campobello. Yours in haste, Mamie, (To be continued.) WHY? QE shy ate poets poets 2* Who knows what might have been, If business men or others Had held the rythmic pen. Who knows what deeds of greatness, What high, ennobling acts Might not have been narrated From actual untrimmed facts? Why should poetic license Cail plain, read-headed Ruth A maid with golden tresses, And disregard the truth? Why should it speak of morning— A most unpleasant hour— As fair Aurora's coming Forth from her rosy bower ? Why calls it all things strangely ? Why thus corrupt the youth? Why should the poet's lie sense fonsensify the truth ? ‘Then why are poets poets ? Who knows what might have been If business men or others Had held the rythmic pen ? Witt Lampton. [This is the other of the two things we don't know.—Ep.) comicbooks.com