Life, 1885-12-17 · page 12 of 18
Life — December 17, 1885 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 356 This page contains satirical commentary on contemporary society through multiple pieces: **"The Age of Reason"** cartoon mocks childish logic and religious faith. Uncle George reads a story about thanking God for survival; his niece Ethel asks why he didn't thank the bear instead—exposing the illogic of selective gratitude. **"The Ambitious Wildhog"** fable warns against social climbing. A wild hog imitates refined domestic pigs' ear-trimming, gets caught and marked by this imitation, then gets fattened and slaughtered. The moral satirizes modern refinements as potentially dangerous to one's authentic self. **"A New Word"** discusses the term "commensal" (a regular dinner guest), arguing it's superior to "habitué" or "table-companion" for English usage—light linguistic commentary. The remaining jokes mock electricity's novelty (President Cleveland opening an American Exhibition via button-press) and Sarah Bernhardt's fame (even Martians supposedly want news of her). These reflect turn-of-century fascination with technology and celebrity culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“THE AGE OF REASON.” Uncle George (reading): “AND WHEN THE MAN GOT SAFELY HOME HE THANKED GOD.” Ethel: WHY DID HE THANK GOD, UNCLE GEORGE? U. G.; BECAUSE THE BEAR DIDN'T EAT HIM, Ethel; THEN WHY DIDN'T HE THANK THE BEAR? FABLES FOR THE TIMES. THE AMBITIOUS WILDHOG. ROUGH and uncouth Wildhog having fallen in with several shotes belonging to a neighboring Farmer, desired to imitate their refined manners, and was really envious of the artistic style of their neatly-trimmed ears; so, on his return to the canebrake, he had his own ears trimmed in precisely the same fashion. In a few days the Farmer met the Wildhog and, recognizing his ear-mark, had the animal caught and put in a pen, where it was duly fattened and then promoted to a lofty niche in the smoke-house. MORAL: It is often profitable, amidst the latest refinements of modern life, to meditate upon the idyllic simplicity and the piping freedom of the Golden Age. O, Ajax, water lilies are not the “* flowers that bloom in the spring.” They are flowers that bloom in'the pond, where you should go and drown yourself. A NEW WORD. LONDON correspondent, writing of the famous Mrs. Weldon, says : “She was then living in Bentinck street, Man- chester square, in a small, comfortable house, one of the ordinary commensals of which was Sir Julius Benedict." “Commensal” is good. It is a better word for English pens than “ habitue,” besides conveying a more definite mean- ing. And it is immeasurably more eupho- nious and practicable than the compound “ table-companion ” which is its synonym. “ Mess-mate,” which is another synonym, and intrinsically a better word, has been appropriated by the military and marine, contingent to their exclusive use. It seems as if, with proper management, “ com- mensal" might increase its circulation. To be the commensal of one or two agree- able and well-regulated families is a privi- lege that we would wish any bachelor in | whom we were interested to enjoy. It | consists in its brightest perfection, not in merely being asked to dinner, but in being made welcome when the spirit moves one to take pot-luck with his friends, T is announced that the American Ex- hibition in London will be opened next year by President Cleveland, who will press a button in Washington, and everything will be started as the button gives way. This will not be the first time that an exhibition has been produced by the giving way of a button. La Caricature. Astronomer: YOU KNOW THE IN- HABITANTS OF THE PLANET MARS HAVE BEEN MAKING SIGNALS TO US, AND I UNDERSTAND THEM. She: AH, REALLY! AND WHAT DO THEY SAY? Astronomer ; THEY ARE ASKING FOR NEWS OF SARAH BERNHARDT. comicbooks.com