Life — February 28, 1884 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Beautiful Snow!" - A Winter Tale This appears to be a humorous narrative poem illustrated across four panels, telling the story of boys hired to shovel snow. The satire mocks the romanticization of winter and snow in literature (likely referencing popular sentimental poems about snow) by contrasting flowery language with gritty reality. The joke unfolds: boys are hired at 25 cents to clear snow, but the work proves exhausting and dangerous. One boy is buried under falling snow; another collapses. The poem's repeated refrain—"The beautiful snow!"—becomes increasingly ironic as the boys suffer physical mishaps. The satire critiques both sentimental Victorian literature and exploitative child labor practices, using the boys' misfortunes to expose the gap between romantic ideals and harsh working-class reality.