Life, 1885-02-19 · page 3 of 16
Life — February 19, 1885 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 101 **"At the German"** cartoon depicts five well-dressed people at what appears to be a German restaurant or social establishment. The caption ironically celebrates this as a "relaxation society" that offers American businessmen leisure during morning hours—suggesting these men were shirking work responsibilities to socialize. The cartoon satirizes the emerging leisure culture and German-American social establishments popular in early 20th-century American cities, mocking businessmen who frequented such venues instead of working. Below are two literary pieces: "Bodkin's Valentine" tells a humorous story about a young man's rejected valentine to a girl, and "The Sick Goat" presents a moral fable about unwise actions. The page reflects period attitudes toward work ethic, immigrant social spaces, and romantic misadventure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AT THE GERMAN. ENJOYING THEMSELVES? OH, AREN'T THEY! THIS IS THE “RELAXATION” SOCIETY OFFERS THE AMERICAN BUSINESS MAN; AND GENERALLY IN THE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING. : BODKIN'S VALENTINE. OUNG Bodkins listened, the clock struck four, He bolted and barred the outside door ; His “ office hours ” for that day were o'er, And happy was he indeed. He had paid the poet across the strect A dollar a line for about two feet Of valentine poetry, sugary sweet, For his own best girl to read. The sunset deepened to dusk before The missive could be improved no more ; He had written and copied it o'er and o'er Just thirteen times in all. His desk was scattered with odds and ends, Bills, circulars, letters and notes from friends ; And a slight mistake great i!] portends— Ah! the fairest hopes must fall! She blissfully reads each written line, But ere she opens the valentine, With expectation almost divine, She pauses in sweet suspense. The paper trembles within her touch, “He loves me truly—how much ? how much?” (T was a bill for candy, ice cream and such) “Ten dollars and sixty cents!" Poor Bodkins that night in dumb despair, Sat gazing for hours with a helpless stare, At this startling message from his fair Angelica—his no more. “Ten dollars and sixty cents, ’t is true, Is no doubt ‘dear * to a man like you— But a higher bidder for me must sue— Our little romance is o'er.” THE SICK GOAT. SICK Goat went into a drug store and took a dose of physic, and then ate up two flour-barrels and four | bushels of old almanacs just to take the taste out of its mouth. The poor animal died crying for more almanacs. MoRAL :—This Fable teaches that it is not wise to try to kill a flea on your leg with a broad-axe. comicbooks.com