Life, 1884-08-14 · page 3 of 16
Life — August 14, 1884 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 87 **The Cartoon:** "The Grandmothers of Our Grandchildren" depicts three women in a domestic interior. The dialogue satirizes evolving gender roles: a daughter reads novels in a parlor while her mother suggests she should instead help in the kitchen. The mother character represents traditional domestic expectations. **The Satire:** This appears to critique emerging debates about women's education and leisure activities in the late 19th/early 20th century. The joke targets tension between older generations who valued household labor and younger women pursuing intellectual pursuits through reading. **"A Ballade":** The accompanying poem reinforces consolation themes—"there's surely a turning to every lane"—offering optimistic verse about perseverance through difficulties, unrelated to the cartoon's gender commentary. The page reflects period anxieties about changing women's roles and social expectations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE GRANDMOTHERS OF OUR GRANDCHILDREN. Maud: SHE CAN BE IF SHE IS NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS Mother : ING IN THE PARLOR TO READ NOVELS. A BALLADE. HEN troubles encompass you hither and there, When you ‘re tempted to curse at the ways of the town, When Hope is inclined to give up to Despair, And the fog of ill-luck all about you drops down ; When the world and her people have only a frown, When you seem to be out all alone in the rain ; Remember the adage !—Despondency drown ! For there's surely a turning to every lane. When the girl of your heart, whom you used to call fair, Has given you up for that Smithers, the clown, When your steak ’s too well done, and your friends are too rare, When your nature has thoroughly donned the black gown, | Remember that patience is promised a crown ; ISN'T THIS A QUEER TITLE FOR A BOOK, MOTHER—" Not LIKE OTHER GIRLS" ? I WONDER WHAT I DON'T KNOW, UNLESS SHE GOES INTO THE KITCHEN AND HELPS HER MOTHER INSTEAD OF STAY- Resurrect all the good resolutions you've slain. Keep in mind, if you will, that one line of renown, For there's surely a turning to every lane. When there 's nothing but worry and stew in the air, When you fain would give vent to that one little noun That begins with a“ D” (and says much, I declare), * When at last is your luck so infernally down, That you can't even borrow a dollar from Brown, Do n't collapse, nor get blue. From such nonsense refrain: Keep your heart and your temper—dispense with your frown, | For there's surely a turning to every lane. L'ENVOI, My friend, though there be not a face in the town | That greets you with kindness—if you are still sane, You ‘Il take my advice and take off that black gown, For there's surely a turning to every lane. W. S. Case. comicbooks.com