Life, 1885-06-11 · page 5 of 16
Life — June 11, 1885 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Things One Would Rather Have Left Unsaid" This cartoon satirizes awkward social moments at a formal Victorian gathering. The caption identifies specific embarrassing remarks: - A Professor addressing a Duchess about "his Excellency, the Duke, this morning" - Someone mentioning the Duchess of Doldrumosity's "Super-May" appearance - A Professor told "Better, thank you, Professor" - A comment about sincere sympathy that was "never allowed they Frequently meet here" The humor derives from Victorian social conventions—the gap between what polite society *should* say versus tactless, inappropriate comments that breach etiquette. The formal dress and interior setting emphasize this is about upper-class propriety. The illustration captures guests' discomfort with these verbal missteps, making it a gentle mockery of rigid social rules and the anxiety of saying the wrong thing in elite circles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LLFE 327 SOME OF LIFE'S CONTEMPORARIES. PUNS, OR THE LONDON HARICARI. “aalJuxe 1, 1885. THINGS ONE WOULD RATHER HAVE LEFT UNSAID. Prof, de Hagelsprig: *‘ Au, Ducuess, HOW Is HIS EXCELLENCY, THE DUKE, THIS MORNING?" (ef Doldermondely Castle, Doldermondely, Super-Mare) : ‘‘ BETTER, THANK YOU, PROFESSOR.” YOu HAVE MY SINCERE SYMPATHY,” SAID THE OLD FOOL WOULD RECOVER. now although they frequently meet in society.) Duchess of Doldermondely Professor : ‘* Wei, I ALWAYS [The Duchess never speaks to the Professor "ARRY AT THE PLAY. “ ENNeRY Hirvinc persented Shakspoges himmortil tradagy of H’olivia, h’at the Lyceum h’on last h’evinin, "Is Dogter Prim- roge was h’especially fine second h'only to witch was the miss- terryous (Afiss Terry us) beauty h'of "is lovely companion the talested If'Ellen, hin "er great and h’original role. H' do not remember to ‘ave seen such butiful meesonseen h'any ware h’else h’except, per'aps, that h’of the talented h’American h'expo- nent h’of ‘istrionic h’art, Miss Merry h’Anderson in Galatea. The pathetics h’of Merry in this role drew forth from us for that gal h’a tear (Galaica), h’and -h’in h’offering ‘omage to Ennery and H’Ellen h’i must h’always h'except Merry's h’ar- tistic h’effort h’as being the finer h’of the two pufformances. My Lorg Lytton ‘as lit on (Lytton) h’a weritable ‘ornets nest hin the stirring h’up h’of the crickits h’over ‘is Longships play fooaie, h’and h’i dont wonder ha’t hit. For h’as h'i said to ‘is orgship ‘now Bulwig dont you go for to let them persent Joonius h’until ** Joon-yer-see,” but Bulwi let h'it come h’out in h’April h'and the consequences ‘ave been h’orful to contemplate. H'I ‘ope Mr. Punch will soon come ‘ome because h’I don’t like crikitisin. Hits too ‘ard h’on the nervious system. "ARRY. Havey THoucut.— Mr. Gladstone's favorite character in Dickens is W(illiam) E G(ladstone). (Wecc. See Our Mutual Friend.) THe Czar has ceded Maruchak to the Ameer and Mr. Gladstone has reaped the reward of the seeds of dip/omasee(ds) in the final a(g)raingement of the Russian difficulty. A COMMON(S) OCCURRENCE. When Churchill jeered the G. O. M. The Premier said ‘* Keep your hand off,” And little Churchill much chagrined Picked up his hat and Ran(djolph (Ran off.) Mrs. RAMSBOTHAM says that she don’t see why they call it the Blue Book when everybody knows its read (red). Tus Government is considering the advisability of issuing an A-Penjdeh-ix to their next Blue Book, telling just what steppes have n taken toward a final adju8tment of the difficulty in Afghanistan. Lorv Durrerin’s latest dispatch to the Premier is ‘said to contain the following on mot: ‘ Look out that the Alexander don’t C—zar (seize our) Indian territory. ‘Tuts has been a bad year for the (¢er77) tories. comicbooks.com