Life, 1886-02-18 · page 3 of 16
Life — February 18, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 101 The page contains three distinct pieces: **"Outside"** (top): A poem about visiting someone named Chloe, featuring an illustration of a woman in classical dress sitting in a crescent moon. The speaker describes hesitating to ring her doorbell, then mentions Jones arriving "dressed comme il faut" (fashionably). The poem concludes with the speaker frustrated after a cab splashed mud on his Sunday trousers. This appears to be light romantic/social satire about courtship etiquette and urban inconveniences. **"A Fable"** (bottom left): A brief tale mocking the English language's versatility. A farmer seeking to market an obstinate cow receives contradictory advice from various professionals (carpenter, bureau drawer, newspaper editor, etc.), each suggesting their specialized jargon. The cow dies of grief. The satire targets over-specialization and obfuscating professional language. **"A Typographical Gale"** (bottom right): Three humorous notices about people with unusual characteristics or predicaments—likely satirizing absurd personal advertisements or social notices.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> Sa ie And here comes Jones—he ‘ll enter there Dressed comme tl faut {rom top to toe, Shedding a well-bred, well-fed air Around him. My rival mounts the free-stone flight, With pitying smile at me the while ; He's always cursedly polite— Confound him! OUTSIDE. NSHRINED midst priceless bric-4-brac, And heathen jugs and Persian rugs, Mid frieze and dado, vase and plaque Sits Chloe, From five to six each day “ At Home,” And there extends to chosen friends A welcome—and a modicum Of Bohea. SweetChloe! How I love the name ! More fair is she than all to me, Or blooming bud or stately dame Or belle. Yet here outside in wintry cold I, shivering, wait and hesitate To pull, confidently and bold, Her door-bell. Why do I sadly homeward move ? Why hesitate to brave my fate And try, by showing her my love, To rouse hers? Because a cab with hurrying fare Has past me dashed and ruthless splashed, And ruined my best Sunday pair Of trousers! A FABLE, SICK farmer had an obstinate cow which he wished to get to market. On consulting his neighbors he re- ceived the following advice: The carpenter said he ’d have a screw driver; the furniture man said let a bureau drawer; a small boy offered to holler ; the newspaper man said let an editorial leader; the postmaster suggested having a letter carrier; the village toper wanted to do his part, and offered to take a horn; the pickle vendor thought a little gherkin would start her. Meantime the farmer expired of exhaustion, and the cow died of grief. This fable teaches that the possibilities of the English lan- guage are great, A TYPOGRAPHICAL GALE. HE erudite St. James's Gazette, of London, speaks vaguely of “Mr, Gail Hamilton.” If this remark was aimed at Abigail Dodge, it just Missed her.—Philadelphia Press. Yes; it just Mr. ES, Josephus, when a man begins to settle up there is a brilliant prospect that he intends to settle down. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, man has an affection of the eyes which causes him to see an object multi- plied sixteen times. He must feel like a Mormon bishop when he looks at his wife. comicbooks.com