Life, 1886-05-06 · page 13 of 16
Life — May 6, 1886 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Content Analysis: Life Magazine Page 265 This page contains **primarily humorous short stories and advertisements** rather than political cartoons. The comic pieces mock various subjects through exaggerated dialect and absurdist scenarios: 1. **"Nothing to Fear"** satirizes courtship anxieties—a young man assumes his girlfriend's father approves of their relationship based on casual friendliness, missing social conventions. 2. **Columbus essay** mocks both student ignorance and racial attitudes of the era. The "essay" comically misattributes the egg-balancing trick to Columbus, then includes a crude encounter with Indigenous people using period-appropriate racist terminology. 3. **Various short quips** target pretentious writing, Yiddish-inflected speech (a common comedic stereotype of the period), and business practices. The page is dominated by **advertisements** for clothing, hats, and books, typical of Life's business model. The satire reflects turn-of-century American humor—often ethnic stereotyping and social commentary—aimed at middle-class readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ LIFE: AT SEGORS OME, Sylvia, let us meander, The vernal ozone will recruit us, We'll ambulate over to yander And gather the trailing arbutus. Pray don’t of the mistiness reason, The drench of the dawn would n’t suit us, But then it’s the thing at this season To gather the trailing arbutus. — Yonkers Gasette. NOTHING TO FEAR. ‘HAVE you spoken to father, George, dear?" she asked, and the voice which came from under the lappel of his coat fairly trembled with happiness. “ Have you begged his consent to——" ‘* No, I did n’t think it was necessary,’ rge replied, ‘‘ be- cause he has always been so friendly and cordial with me. Only yesterday he slapped me on the back and gave me a good cigar, and told me how well I was looking, and that I must come up to the house as often as I could, and that you would always be glad to see me, and that we could have the parlor to ourselves every night if we wanted it, and——" “Dear father !” interrupted the voice, ‘perhaps I had better break the news to him myself.”"—Zx. 265 Tue following story comes from a school in the Midlands. The master told.the boys of the third class to write a short essay on Columbus: The following was sent up by an ambitious essayist: “‘*Clumbus was a man who could make an egg stand on end without breaking it. The King of Spain said to Clumbus, ‘Can you discover America? ‘Yes,’ said Clumbus, ‘if you will give me a ship.’ So he had a ship, and sailed over the sea in the direction where he thought America ought to be found. The sailors quarreled and said they believed there was no such place, But after many days the pilot came to him and said, ‘Clumbus, I see land,’ ‘Then that is America,’ said Clumbus. When the ship got near, the land was full of black men. Clumbus said, “Is this America?’ ‘Yes, it is,’ said they. Then he said, ‘T suppose you are the Niggers? ‘ Yes,’ they said; ‘we are.’ The chief said, ‘I suppose you are Clumbus,’ ‘ You are right,’ said he. Then the chief turned to his men and said, ‘ There is no help for it ; we are discovered at last."—Zondon Standard. Tuis is from a local weekly : “If the long-eared contributor to the Cuspidor, who wrote that indecent attack which was made pesterday upon the editor of this journal, will call at this office is widow will hear something to her advantage.—/ournulist. ** Dot brudder of mine in Chicago vhas no good,” said Moses, as he dusted spate of second-hand pants at the door. ‘He close his shtore der odder day and puts a sign on dot his wife vos dead, und he doan’ keep open for two days.” ‘' Was n't that right?” ‘It vhas all right to shut oop, but why doan’ he sa on der sign : ‘On dis account I haf to dispose of dis mammot' shtock, und all goods shall be sold at ten per cent. below cost ? Vhen a peesness man’s wife dies it vhasa chance to advertise dot doan’ come once in twenty years."— Wall Street News. Henry Holt & Co. PUBLISH SATURDAY NEW BINDING FOR ‘LIFE: IN MAROON AND GOLD, NOW READY. Same prices. $5 per vol. FERAKAVER LADIES’ TAILOR, THE ROMANCE ' OF THE MOON, pen and ink drawings, illustrating a quaint tale of the origin of the dew. BY J. A. MITCHELL, (The Editor of Lire.) 12mo, illuminated cover. te The Summer School of Philosophy at Mt. Desert. (Drawings by the same artist.) Cloth, $3.50; paper, $1.00. CELEBRATED HATS LADIES’ ROUND HATS. 178 & 180 Fifth Ave., bet. 22d & 23d Sts. and 181 Broadway, near Cortlandt St., New York. Palmer House, Chicago. . 914 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, HABIT MAKER and HATTER, 19 EAST 21ST STREET, NEW YORK, Newport & London, Is now exhibiting the largest selection of Stuffs and Fabrics, comprising the latest patterns from leading manufacturers in Europe — rERsonatty SELECTED FoR MY SrEC- TALTY. Ladies who favor me with their. patronage, can be assured that my establishment will, as heretofore, sustain its reputation for taste. style & - manship, ‘The Latest in Riding, Traveling and Yachting Hats, Cavanagh, Sanford & Co., Merchant Tailors and Importers, 61 West 23d STREET, Opposite Fifth Ave. Hotel, NEW YORK. early 3 3 Sha. Ys Ce MAKERS OF RAs Feton THE $ SHIRT PAJAMAS AND G¥e UNDERWEAR. LIFE OF A PRIG. SS eta FROM SCHOOL,” $1.00. HENRY HOLT & CO., 99 West Twenty-third Street, New York. PRIESTLEY’S NEW SILK WARP FABRICS Among the new materials especially commended is the Clairette, also shown with a border Serey black Gs bs semeed ctanta cae moors tl to be assu: evenin p mou srine, Oypsy Cloth is an etamine foe and artistic This Pansy is a soft twill, fine and beautiful, and will undoubtedly prove a favorite.—Delincator, pervious to hardship, and while light in weight, is ng. Convent cloth will be much wora in the in draping, while firm in texture. FOR “THREE LITTLE MAIDS Exquisite LiTHooRAPH, 83¢x6 IN., Send 10 cts, in postage to “ CIBILS,” ror Reade St., New York. comicbooks.com