Life, 1885-12-10 · page 13 of 34
Life — December 10, 1885 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not political satire but a sentimental Christmas poem illustrated by an etching. The image shows two figures in what appears to be a ghostly reunion—a woman and a man (suggested to be a soldier) meeting by a window on Christmas night. The poem's theme is melancholic romance: a woman is visited by the spirit of her lover, a soldier who died (implied: in war, sent "to a soldier's grave"). The reunion is bittersweet—they share joy in meeting, but dawn will separate them again "to sleep for another year." This reflects a common Victorian/early-20th-century literary motif: the supernatural Christmas encounter allowing temporary communion between the living and dead. The illustration's sketchy, ethereal quality emphasizes the ghostly nature of their meeting. The piece evokes pathos through the image of wartime loss and enduring love transcending death.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Rendezvous. ? IS Christmas night. A ghostly light Illumines forgotten faces. With loving tread The feet of the dead Fall soft in familiar places. In these dim halls This night recalls Sweet memories death cannot chill. Faint finger tips And voiceless lips Bring the ghost of an old-time thrill Ah, many a year Has gone, since here, Her love and herself she gave; A blushing face, A long embrace— And he, to a soldier's grave. There 's joy in meeting; But hours are fleeting, And the saddest of all draws near, For light of dawn Will find them gone, And to sleep for another year. JA. Mitchell. comicbooks.com