Life, 1886-03-18 · page 5 of 16
Life — March 18, 1886 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Still Master of the Situation" The main cartoon depicts a social scene where a man (Mr. Harry Oldean, identified in the caption) greets a young rival with the line "Why, bless me, Charley, how you have grown!" The satire appears to mock a man's attempt to maintain social composure and authority in an awkward encounter—perhaps with a younger competitor or someone he once had power over. His patronizing tone suggests he's trying to assert dominance through casual, superior familiarity, hence the title "Still Master of the Situation." The joke implies his forced cheerfulness masks anxiety about his actual standing. The page also contains humor definitions ("Some New Definitions") and a sentimental poem about a madrigal, typical of Life magazine's mixed satirical and literary content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
STILL MASTER OF THE SITUATION. Mr. Harry Oldbeau (to young rival): WHY, BLESS ME, CHARLEY, HOW YOU HAVE GROWS ! ERTAIN malcontent citizens of Buffalo have built a crematory, and teach that all true patriots and righteous citizens will contribute their relics to the flames instead of the earth, Bishop Coxe sniffs at this new scheme and hints, in The Forum, that it is silly and smacks of pagan- ism besides. Let them sizzle, your Reverence; sinners living and cinders dead. Any change benefits a Buffalo man. SOME NEW DEFINITIONS. A EULOGY—Gross flattery when spoken of one’s neighbor, but the simple truth when applied to one’s self. ‘ A Quack—Dr, Jones—according to the estimate of Dr. Brown—and reciprocally. HE husband may boast of “ holding the reins,” but it’s generally the wife that says where the wagon is going. . SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI. eae WAS a gay little madrigal, tuneful and tender, With all the sweet things that a lover could say, That Dolly’s adorer had ventured to send her, Along with a posy on Valentine's Day. And yet, the fond labor he lavished upon it Went into the waste-labeled list of old Time, For frivolous Dolly grows pale 2t a sonnet, And bridles and pouts at the mention of rhyme. And tho’ she was charmed with the glad-colored posy To deck the dull gown that she happened to wear, She kept his poor verses for uses more prosy— And wore them at night in her gold-gleaming hair ! M. EL W. AN asearch which discovered a gold mine be said to have been én vein? A LONG “ FELT” WANT—A new hat. comicbooks.com