Life, 1883-09-13 · page 5 of 16
Life — September 13, 1883 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 123 This page contains two distinct humor pieces: **"Many Birds of Many Kinds"** (top illustration): A social cartoon showing a tennis player being observed by onlookers. The joke critiques a man who plays tennis excessively as a distraction from unhappiness in his engagement. Miss Darlington notes he's "very unhappy" and plays "all day as a distraction"—his income decreases because he's so distracted. Mr. Horace Templeton Snider's response ("That's the reason I married!") suggests marriage itself is the real distraction from work. **"Romance"** (bottom section): A sentimental poem about courtship's progression from initial coldness to affection and marriage. The brief dialogue at the end humorously deflates this sentiment—a woman boasts about ordering expensive champagne repeatedly at a ball, reducing romance to materialistic consumption. Both pieces mock romantic idealization through practical, cynical observations about relationships.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MANY BIRDS OF MANY KINDS. Miss Darlington; “YES, HE PLAYS TENNIS WELL BECAUSE HE PLAYS IT ALL DAY AS A DISTRACTION. HE 1S VERY UNHAPPY, POOR FELLOW! HE WAS ENGAGED AND HE FOUND HIS INCOME GROWING LESS EVERY DAY, SO HE BROKE THE ENGAGEMENT.” Mr. Horace Templeton Snider ; “ Wy, THAT 'S THE REASON I MARRIED !” ROMANCE. ‘The privilege still yet is mine With kiss her lips to smother ; HE did n't like me when we met— Still round my neck she likes to twine But turned away and pouted : Her soft, white arms. I'll drop a line, ’T was very cool, I own, to get I guess, and ask her mother. At first a snub so final, yet I clung to hope, and doubted. This rhyme produces envy,—strife, Within your reason maybe ; Strange as it seems, a few short weeks So let me take a leaf from life : Confirmed my sanguine guesses ; Her mother is my darling wife, I came to understand her freaks, And she my blessed baby. And even dared to kiss her cheeks F.D.S. And stroke her golden tresses. So time went on, and as we grew To know each other better, “ REALLY, love, I had a delightful time at the ball She bravely learned to kiss me too ; last night.” “I should judge so, darling; I heard And when she strangely tried to woo, you, three times, order the waiter to bring more cher- Somehow I used to let her. rapin and tampagne.”” comicbooks.com