Life, 1886-04-29 · page 7 of 16
Life — April 29, 1886 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis **Left cartoon:** A "Prominent N.A." (North American, likely an artist) shows work to a friend. The artist claims he "painted nothing last year," while the friend notes the current work "is as good as you did last year." The joke satirizes artistic pretension—the artist produces mediocre work consistently while making excuses. **Right cartoon ("Too Much at Once"):** Two well-dressed men discover an apparently injured or unconscious officer. One asks what happened; the other explains the officer "got here before it was over," implying he arrived too late to participate in some event (possibly a brawl or disturbance). The satire mocks the officer's tardiness or ineffectiveness. Both cartoons appear to target social hypocrisy and incompetence among the privileged classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Prominent N. A.: Wuat dO YOU THINK OF IT? Friend: 1 DON'T THINK IT 18 AS GOOD AS YOU DID LAST YEAR. s NV. A.: But I PAINTED NOTHING LAST YEAR. Friend: ER—EXACTLY. TOO MUCH AT ONCE, First Citizen (excitedly): WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE OFFICER ? ‘Second Citizen: THERE WAS A RIOT HERE JUST NOW AND HE HAS PAINTED. First C.: Way, How was THAT? Second C.: HE GOT HERE BEFORE IT WAS OVER. RESTORE—To join incongruous fragments with glue. EGG—A contrivance used to express vehement disappro- THE BEST WINE AFTER A LONG VOYAGE—Port. bation or impatient dissent. HoME RuLE—Authority of a wife to rifle trousers pockets and insist on early hours. league. “A MISss is as good as a mile, UNPOPULAR SEA WITH LUBBERS—Nau-sea. but Mrs. is as good as a THE RECENT CATACLYSM THe reign of Prohibition in the snug bor- ough of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations will shortly begin. It is found upon investigation that a balf dozen of the voters, upon the first of January last, swore off under heavy penai:.cs the use of intoxicating liquor. These foxes, with their tails cut off, much disliking the self-satisfied airs of those of their fellow citizens who were not deprived of their ‘peculiar wanities,” joined forces, and thus a tidal wave of reform swept over the State, A dozen voters, in so small a space, can easily form themse/FUs into a tidal wave, even as a pond is lashed’ into angry billows by a small boy with a new pair of India-rubber boots. The Prohibitory candidate for Attor- ney-General was triumphantly elected, the name of Governor Wetm¢* changed by con- stitutional amendment, and the cheers of the victors were distinctly audible in the neighbor- ing States of Connecticut and Massachusetts, The chagrin of the wine-bibbers of the minia- ture republic was in some degree lessened by the thought that every man of them could get IN his cocktail in the morning, by taking a short walk out of the jurisdiction ; and the liquor dealers outside the border chuckled with glee at the prospective increase in their business. To be sure, this may be a little inconvenient for the wine-bibber, but exercise is healthful ; and he who goes out to drink upon his legs may be conveniently wheeled back to his house in a wheelbarrow at a trifling expense, in the manner of good Mr. Pickwick. But this new law is most far-reaching in its provisions. No man is to be allowed to in- troduce intoxicating beverages into his house, nor to give them to his friends, nor can they be sold at the clubs. A yacht sailing into Newport harbor will be subject to investigation, and the peculiar char- acteristics which make it a yacht to be taken from it and destroyed by the enterprising de- tectives. Imagine the distress which will be caused | the New York Yacht Squadron, with its es- sential supplies thus ruthlessly destroyed. Surely a civil war will arise when these hardy sea-dogs are threatened with being boarded by the inspectors, and the brass guns, which have hitherto been useful only for the promotion of premature deafness and the dis- turbing of morning slumbers, will be trained against the rash officials and the doomed city of Newport. In such a contest it is certain that the State will go to the wall, for it is most vulnerable to attacks from the sea and but imperfectly defended. A force of ‘Parlor Boarders,” fighting for their altars and their fire-water, headed by the Captains, Commodores, Fleet Captain, First Measurer and the Regatta Committee, and backed up by the hardy mari- ners, stewards, couks and cabin-boys of the various yachts, would soon make short work of the Rhode Island Militia. For itis well known that this entire force, besides being composed largely of Brigadier- Generals, is entirely deprived of rifle practice from the fact that they cannot shoot without the balls hitting somebody in an adjacent State. Beware, Rhode Islanders! “ Blood shall be in your marble halls ! Fires shall burn and spears shall glow 1 Rain shall sit epoa your walls! And ye shall lie in death below !"* comicbooks.com