Life, 1885-06-11 · page 6 of 16
Life — June 11, 1885 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Our Little Culture Society at Pignapoke" This satirical piece mocks a provincial social gathering in Pignapoke, C.H. (likely a fictional small town). The cartoon depicts an awkward "at home" reception hosted by Miss Lucretia Chillinghart, where guests attempt cultural sophistication with comical results. The satire targets pretentious rural society: Miss Lucretia wears an elaborately decorated dress with yellow butterfly patterns, while a peacock's tail serves as a fly brush. The humor centers on social mishaps—Mrs. Wibbell demands sugar in her tea, and Uncle Obadiah accidentally waves the peacock tail over the table, nearly causing a riot when he spills gravy. The joke is that these rustic characters mistake ostentation for genuine culture, creating chaos while trying to appear refined.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OUR LITTLE CULTURE SOCIETY AT PIGNAPOKE. PIGNAPOKE, C. H. Editor of Lire: Sir— OMETHING had to be done after the catastrophe with the heavy harness, to stop the mouths of the vulgar herd, and Miss Lucretia as usual was equal to the emer- gency. The price of pork being up again, old Squire Chillinghart was in an excellent humor, and was easily coaxed into giv- ing a grand reception, for which the enclosed card was sent | out to all the é/¢e in the district. At HOME, WEDNESDAY EVE., Miss LUCRETIA CHILLINGHART AND HER PA. At eight o'clock. RV.PLS. POKEBERRY MANOR. The toilets of the members of our little society upon this auspicious occasion caused a great deal of comment and some astonishment. The billowy form of Miss Lucretia was clad in a dress the result of the combined taste and skill of herself and the gifted artist, Miss Prudence Persymon; it was of dark blue sateen and scattéred over it Miss Persymon had painted the most life-like of yellow butterflies. Her arms were encased in long gloves reaching above the elbow, for which I sacri- ficed the feet of a five dollar pair of . but that's no matter. A venerable peacock’s tail which had served as a fly brush in the family for many years was shortened into a fan, and Uncle Obadiah, while serving the refreshments, picked it up, out of pure force of habit, and began waving it vigorously over the table. For of course, in an affair of this kind, there were some little mishaps, and not all the guests took kindly to some of our innovations. Bouillon was served during the evening in cup and saucer, and this simple fact came very near causing a riot. Mrs. Wibbil called for sugar in hers, and old Miss Babberly ordered Obadiah to take out that tea with milk in it and bring in some clear. Mr. Wibbil, who is always in a hurry, drained his cup without winking and then remarked, as he dashed out of the side door, that he had got hold of the gravy bowl by mistake. Several of the guests about th's time looked uncomfortably at each other after sipping the supposed tea, and when Uncle Obadiah came in a moment later a general murmur arose, and comicbooks.com