Life, 1886-01-14 · page 11 of 16
Life — January 14, 1886 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Four-Footed Teacher" and "The Third Sex" The top cartoon satirizes authoritarian teaching methods. A fierce Lion—educated but temperamentally unsuited—terrorizes animal pupils through intimidation rather than instruction. When asked about Columbus and Cornwallis, the frightened students panic and blame innocent classmates (a Goat, a Mule). The moral is direct: credentials alone don't make teachers; temperament matters. The bottom article mocks urban female shoppers as a distinct social category—"The Third Sex"—neither fully men nor women. A man observes that shopping transforms respectable wives and mothers into feral, bloodthirsty creatures, losing their humanity and individuality in pursuit of bargains. The satire targets both consumer culture's grip on women and contemporary anxiety about changing female social roles. The tone suggests disapproval of both shopping addiction and women's independent economic behavior.
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cious and Lion that had thorough course of Latin and beer at a German uni- versity, decided to become aschool-teacher. Having secured a number of pupils, he began an initiatory examination. Turning suddenly to a little Rabbit, he asked in a voice of thunder : “Who discovered America, sir?” The Rabbit was so badly scared that he could hardly stand on his feet. With a stammering tongue he answered : “T didn’t do it, please, sir; I did n’t do it. the Mule.” : FERO- | high - tempered | gone through a | I think ’t was | “ Columbus, sir!” roared the Lion. “Columbus, sir !” gasped the Rabbit. The teacher next directed a fierce look at a small puppy. and asked with a savage growl : “Who captured Cornwallis, sir ?”” “1 don’t know, sir; but ’t wa’n’t me, sir!” answered the trembling puppy, who was too scared to remember the rules of syntax ; “I think ’t was the Goat, for I saw him trotting round the school-house chewing something.” “You are a liar, sir!” retorted the Goat ; “I did nothing of the kind.” On the next day the ferocious Lion had not a single pupil, and the idea of establishing a school was abandoned. Mora: This Fable teaches that something: besides a diploma is necessary to maké a good teacher. GOoD FRUIT KNIFE—Le sabre de mon pear. THE THIRD SEX. * WAS sitting in my office the other day, ruminating on the “isms ” of the times, when my, friend, Oliver Over- shoes, stepped briskly in, Now, as a general rule, this same Overshoes is a most delightful companion ; running over with good spirits, his very presence exhilerates the atmosphere. But on this occasion his usually jovial face seemed overcast, and, beckoning to me with his index finger, he said, ina deep voice: “Come and see ’em.” His manner was in- fectious, and involuntarily sinking my own voice to sepulchral tones, I replied, “See whom?” “See whom?” rejoined Oliver. ‘Why, the Third Sex, the anomalies, the shoppers.” \ rose from the table, donned my hat and coat, and, seizing Oliver’s arm, sallied forth. The streets were filled with hurrying throngs. The shop windows glittered. But every step we took seemed to deepen Overshoes’ gloom. At Fourteenth street we turned at right angles to our former course, and walked through the crowded street until we reached a vantage point near the pillars of the elevated railroad. Around us the crowd eddied and surged. Here for the first time Oliver’s countenance showed animation. “Here they are,” he exclaimed. “Here are those of the Third Sex. Look at ’em,” he continued, pointing at the crowd hurrying past us. ‘There ’s men there, there ’s women there. But that’s only a small part of that eager crowd you see. The rest of ’em’s the Third Sex, the shoppers.” And here Overshoes’ voice fairly rose to a shout. “Here,” he went on, “let us take some one shopper. Mark this one,” and Oliver pointed to a well- dressed woman advancing toward us, laden with several bundles. “She started out this morning a human being. Yes, a woman, with a woman's tenderness. She kissed her husband and young children good-bye. “She was going out,” she said, “to do a little shopping.” That was a short five hours ago. Since that time she has lost her human attributes, her womanly tenderness, her individuality, and she has entered the ranks of the Third Sex. For the * last three hours she has been a shopper. Observe the look in her eye. Did you ever see the look in the eye of a lion that has once tasted blood? This cidevant woman, wife, MOTHER, has tasted the blood of a bargain and thirsts for more. Ah! she is a type of the Third Sex. “Here Over- comicbooks.com