Life, 1886-07-01 · page 3 of 18
Life — July 1, 1886 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 3 This page contains two distinct pieces: **"The Wolf and Ass"** is a fable illustration showing a wolf and donkey in philosophical debate. The Ass argues that poverty and humble circumstances allow for noble intellectual pursuits, while the Wolf dismisses such sentimentality. The moral critiques romantic notions of poverty—suggesting that while poverty might inspire fine writing, it's better to be wealthy. This appears to be social commentary on Victorian-era idealization of the struggling artist. **"A Nautical View"** is a brief comic dialogue between a mother and son (Freddy) about the father being the family's mainstay, with a joke about the spanker. It's a simple domestic humor piece with a nautical pun. Both rely on wordplay and philosophical debate typical of Life's satirical style.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WOLF and an Ass were taking a stroll just as the twilight was deepening into dark, and the full moon was shining in serene majesty in the eastern heavens. “My friend, I’m bothered,” said the Wolf. “What about?” inquired the Ass. “1'm in love.” “In love with what ?” “In love with the moon.” “In love with the moon? I never would have supposed that you were such a long-ranged animal.” “Oh, it’s dreadful! Did you ever love an object that was far above you—that was separated from you by impassable barriers ?” “Yes; I once fell in love with a load of hay that was locked up in the stahie-loft. Ah, ’t was dreadful !” “My dear friend,” said the Wolf, “ you spoil everything with such gross ideas. What I feel for the moon is a pure, ethereal, summer-twilight, brookside-meditation sort of love, in no way connected with the vulgar cravings of hunger. The pure sentiment which I entertain yon beautiful orb is lifted immeasurably above such common and homely objects as loads of hay.” “My dear Wolf, you are in a bad way,” replied the Ass ; “you would be acting wisely to discard that foolishness about the moon. I would n’t love anything that was so high up that I could n’t kiss it when I felt like it, and that was so far out of my reach that J could n’t kick it when I got mad. I don’t think that your view of life is the correct one. I find much virtue and excellence in things which you look upon as low and degraded. 1 regard a square meal as quite an intellectual affair, and, in my opinion, a stack of hay is a vast reservoir of glowing fancies and noble conceptions. My most brilliant ideas wing their flight from the roof of the corn-crib, There is a closer connection than you imagine between physical ease and intellectual achievement. An empty crib is a terrible clog upon the passions of sentiment and creative fancy. I am nothing but an Ass, and not famous for violent mental exercise; but, in spite of that, I sometimes surround and capture a respectable idea. Now, if I were a wealthy author, and owned a clover lot, a full corn-crib, and a dozen stacks of hay, I could write some beautiful conceits about the many charms and the idyllic advantages of poverty. In fact, I’d make you think it a splendid thing to be poor. But it is necessary to take leave of poverty before you are competent to embalm it in fine writing. The ‘Cotter’s Saturday Night’ is a pretty poem to almost everybody except the cotter. It may be true that life is but a dream, but those dreams are sweetest that visit pleasant couches.” Mora: This Fable teaches that Pegasus is not a dys- ‘peptic animal; and that it is no easy task for a man ina ditch to sing the praises of muddy water. INCONSISTENCY. ITTING with charming Mabel at the play, I heard a valorous wooer vainly speak, And saw a pearly teardrop course its way ‘Adown the pale pink velvet of her cheek. “Alas! thou inconsistent maid,” thought I, “Thou weepest on beholding him forlorn, But when before thy feet I sue and sigh, Thou laughest all my ardent vows to scorn !” Clinton Scollard. T is reported that Mr. Jefferson Davis is in very feeble health. LIFE is sorry to hear it and ventures to hope that his indisposition has not been aggravated by envy of the French Princes, who have in view the prospect of a distin- guished exile. Would Mr. Davis have been happier if he had been worse used ? A NAUTICAL VIEW. Mamma: DoNn'T YoU KNOW THAT YOUR FATHER IS THE MAIN- STAY OF THE FAMILY ? Freddy: GOLLY, AINT HE THOUGH! AND THE SPANKER, TOO, comicbooks.com