Life, 1883-09-27 · page 5 of 16
Life — September 27, 1883 — page 5: what you’re looking at
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# "The Effects of Travel" - Analysis This satire depicts a Venice bric-à-brac shop scene. The cartoon mocks travelers who return home with exaggerated claims about their experiences abroad. The character Edith admires a "bas-relief of the Last Supper," claiming it's "the loveliest table d'hôte I ever saw!" — confusing a religious artwork with a dining establishment, suggesting her cultural ignorance. The dialogue between Agnus and young Fitz Asinus satirizes both wealthy tourists making pretentious investment decisions and the cynical merchants exploiting them. References to "stocks" and money-making schemes suggest tourists are financial dupes. The humor targets the Gilded Age phenomenon of wealthy Americans traveling abroad, returning home with dubious "authentic" purchases and inflated stories, demonstrating how travel sometimes reveals ignorance rather than cultivating sophistication.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE EFFECTS OF TRAVEL. Scene: Venite—A Bric-a-brac Shop. Edith (who is admiring a bas-relief of the Last Supper): LOVELIEST TABLE D’HOTE I EVER saw! OH, MAMMA, DO COME HERE—THIS 18 THE —[Fact.) “You rely on your what?” “On my judgment,” meekly answered Agnus. “Judgment be ***! you infernal young***! You haven't got the brains of an acephalus mollusk. You come to me for a point, * * * your stupid * * *, got it all wrong and then tell me you are going to use your own judgment! Come to me, * * * your chuckle- headed ***, just as you'd got a * * * pump for water. You'd better go into stocks ! You ‘re just one of those everlasting * * * idiots who blunder into fortunes in Wall Street !" “T think I will make money,” answered Agnus unmoved ; “lots of chaps do make money, you know.” “Oh ***1!" roared Silenus, “this is too * * * much !” and off he stamped, blowing off maledictions at every step. Agnus unabashed turned to young Fitz Asinus who was smoking a cigarette at an adjacent table. “Very violent old man, Silenus.” “Yaas,” replied Fitz Asinus, “ghastly! Called me a * * * dude the other night because I remarked that he never wore gaiters, Besides, his trousers are baggy, and I do n't believe his morals are good.” Agnus warmed to this youth, he was so pure and his scarf was really a marvel. “Tell me,” said Agnus, “if you were going to invest in stocks which would you do?” Fitz Asinus said that he never did stich things. He * © © We regret not having this font among our types. The manuscript is in Ancient Blasphemic.—Eb. Lire, comicbooks.com