Life, 1886-02-25 · page 3 of 16
Life — February 25, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 115 Analysis: "The Saint and the Widow" & "Cui Bono" This page contains two separate pieces: **"The Saint and the Widow"** (top): A fable by Mark Mallow satirizing sanctimonious clergy. A widow rebuffs St. Valentine's moral lecturing about duty and propriety. The saint objects to her smoking, her "antique crotchet" (old-fashioned hat), and her independence—yet hypocritically keeps a mistress himself ("Love is still Considered *de rigueur*"). The moral critiques how saints/clergy impose strict rules on others while ignoring their own transgressions. **"Cui Bono"** (bottom): A domestic scene where young Bobby questions his mother about prayers to a nurse before sleep. When told "God stay up all night?" it's a child's innocent challenge to religious assumptions—likely satirizing unthinking faith transmission between generations. Both pieces critique hypocrisy in religious and social institutions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE SAINT AND THE WIDOW. A FABLE. HE good St, Valentine, I 'm told, ‘The other day did make so bold As to approach a widowed beauty And try to win her back to duty. (The Saint’s idea of duty you Will see at once was doubtless due To habit, and to trains of thought He had indulged more than he ought.) But when the widow smoked his game Quite frigid she forthwith became ; And eyeing him with mild surprise Proceeded thus to moralize. “ Your Reverence will permit, I'm sure, Plain speaking from a lady. Your Good offices are out of date— You really ought to dissipate “The antiquated crotchet that Your Reverence keeps beneath your hat, Which makes you fancy Love is still Considered de rigueur. You will “ Become a trial to your friends— Why, can’t you see where all this will end? This—spooning—of your Reverence’s Will not meet every-day expenses. “I fear 't would be indelicate More clearly to adduce the late Lamented Jack in evidence You see, one must use common sense, “1 much regret to have detained Your Reverence so long. I'm pained To have monopolized the talking. Allons! Are you not fond of walking ?” THR MORAL, This fable iterates the is-ness That saints don’t make good men of busi- ness. Mark Mallow. CUI BONO. OBBY was awake when his mother re- turned home from the theatre at mid- night. “Did you say your prayers to nurse, Bobby,” she asked, “before you went to bed?” “No,” he said, sleepily, “I forgot it.” “ Well, you had better come and say them to me now.” “ What,” said Bobby, in drowsy astonish- ment, “ does God stay up all night ?” CONSIDERATE, Officer: Excuse me, MAM, FOR DISTURBING YOU; BUT WILL You PLEASE COME DOWN AND PICK OUT YOUR e ° HUSBAND ? comicbooks.com