Life, 1886-02-04 · page 3 of 16
Life — February 4, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 73 Analysis This page contains three distinct humor pieces from *Life* magazine: **"Thwarted"** (top): A romantic poem by M.E.W. about a failed courtship in windy meadows, where the narrator's passionate advances were interrupted by the beloved's fear and hesitation—a sentimental comedy about romantic miscommunication. **"The Chinese Must Go"** (bottom left): A satirical dialogue mocking a Chinese laundry customer and worker's mutual incomprehension. The humor relies on stereotypical "broken English" and cultural misunderstanding—typical of period-specific racial humor reflecting anti-Chinese attitudes of the era. **"Agreeably Disappointed"** (right): A brief anecdote about a melancholic newspaper editor unexpectedly cheered by an unexpected visitor, finding his life "still worth living." **"In Ph-ld-l-ia"** (center): A captioned illustration about city life, likely Philadelphia, with social commentary about boarding arrangements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THWARTED. HEN you and I, dear Helen, stepped Along the windy meadows, Across your cheek the blushes swept In rosy lights and shadows, And laughter lingered on your lips As, in the good old fashion, I stooped to kiss your finger-tips Before I breathed my passion. Ah, yes, you laughed, and stilled with fear My heart's too hopeful beating That roused and siirred as you drew near And quickened at our meeting. And so the long day came and went Till twilight drooped around us, And Love, despite his sweet intent, Had left us as he found us! MLE. W. THE CHINESE MUST GO. USTOMER (in Chinese laundry): Can you un- derstand English, John ? John: Yep. Customer: If I leave some § collars and cuffs to be done up, when can I get them? John: Alle yite. Customer: I want to know when I shall come for them ? John: Yep. Customer: I must have them not later than Friday afternoon. John: You takee checkee. Customer: You pig-tailed linen destroyer, I thought you said you could understand Eng- lish ? John: Yep. Customer: Then why in thunder don’t you. answer my question ? John: Me undstlan English ; no speakee. You leave washee ? USINESS in astronomical circles is looking up. AN OLD TIMER—A bull’s-eye watch. AGREEABLY DISAP- POINTED. SAD-FACED. country editor, with fringe on the heels of his trousers and the wind sighing mournfully through his whiskers, sat in his sanctum, thinking—thinking. Presently a shadow fell across the room, and a voice de- manded to know if he was the editor. “Yes, sir,” he said, with a look of alarm. Then the owner of the voice mopped the floor with the editor : and went his way. “Thank heaven!” exclaimed the editor, after he had gathered the wreck of his former self together and had straightened up the furniture, “life is still worth living. I expected every minute that he would tell me to stop his paper.” Ape latest “trunk r mystery is how a man can secure IN PH-L-D-L-IA. a month's board at a first-class Stranger within the gates: THE PEOPLE ABOUT HERE SEEM betel on, aptwo collar atrunk WELL TO DO; WHY DON’T THEY LIVE IN NEW YORK? filled with second-hand bricks, comicbooks.com