Life, 1884-09-11 · page 12 of 16
Life — September 11, 1884 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis for Modern Readers This page contains theater criticism and satirical brief items typical of Life magazine's humor section. The main cartoon depicts a "Matrimonial Agency" storefront crowded with men seeking wives—captioned "Some Who Seek Rest After Work." The joke satirizes marriage as a refuge from labor, playing on the ironic expectation that matrimony provides relaxation rather than obligations. The text section reviews the play "Called Back" at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, critiquing its melodramatic elements, excessive dialogue, and actors' affected mannerisms. The reviewer wishes the production were a "sensible, solid play" rather than relying on Siberian storms and Italian hair oil for dramatic effect. Other brief items mock contemporary figures: a Canadian official detained in the U.S., a Brooklyn postmaster's disappearance, and newspaper commentary on actress Jean Ingelow. The humor relies on wordplay and absurdist logic typical of 1880s-90s satirical journalism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
152 three base run the young man incautiously stepped into the United States, and much to his surprise has beef detained there ever since. several years as he has met his old friend Ferdinand Ward, with whom he will spend a greater part of his enforced leisure, Meanwhile Canada is disconsolate. [It has just been discovered that I am an honest man. One of those confounded New York detectives gave me away by causing my arrest and I have received notice to leave town inside of twenty-four hours as men of my character cannot be tolerated here.] Such is LIFE. CHOLMONDELEY HARCOURT. A RUNNING mate—An eloping wife. PAYING the Piper—Standing the Champagne. CHARITY A LA BARNUM—Giving everybody a show. A Suppositious CasE—The prima donna’s jewel casket. It is now believed that the Brooklyn Assistant Postmaster has gone for good. His own, probably. Is N’r ita little odd that the “ best man" at a wedding is always somebody other than the groom? And may not this be the reason why so many marriages turn out badly ? PERSONAL INFERENCE—Miss Jean Ingelow is nowa large, comfortable, round-headed woman.—N. Y. Tribune. Probably ; but will the 7rzbune be kind enough to specify at what particular period of her existence Miss Ingelow was a small, uncomfortable, square-headed person? Personal matters of such pith and moment as the one above cited, should have the merit of exactitude as well as novelty. At last accounts he will not return for | | from chair to sofa, or vice versa. * LIFE: CALLED BACK. J HAVE many wishes regarding “ Called Back,” now run- ning at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. I wish it were not a melo-drama. It seems to me a play— a sensible, solid play—could have been wrought of the mater- ial abounding in Mr. Conway's interesting book, without the introduction of Siberian snow storms, stilettoes, Italian hair oil, and rubbish, I wish it were not so talky. It seems impossible for two characters in this remarkable production to come together without drifting into an interminable dissertation about mat- ters in general and nothing in particular, and the only action appealing meanwhile to the eye is their occasional change In the first scene Miss Burroughs and Mr. Kelcey have a comfortable chat of fifteen minutes, which ends with the audience as wise as it was be- fore the curtain rose. I wish Miss Millward would remember that Miss Ellen | Terry has a patent giving Aer the exclusive right to use her right arm as a pump handle, gesticulate altogether in jerks, and emphasize everything by laying the forefinger on the lower lip. Also, I wish that the remembrance of Miss Millward’s | first entrance were not nearly so much like a house afire. I wish Mr. Ferguson had not studied his make-up in a Third Avenue barber shop. He does some'very clever act- ing in the third act, but one expects to hear him cry “ next !” every time he enters. I wish Mr. Kenyon would relieve the ghastly brilliancy of that smile. It is too much like an advertisement for tooth- powder, and not at all effective. Or I would suggest that he SOME WHO SEEK REST AFTER WORK. comicbooks.com