Life, 1886-07-22 · page 12 of 16
Life — July 22, 1886 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Midnight Encounter" — Life Magazine Satire This French-sourced satirical cartoon (credited "[La Caricature]") depicts the misadventure of M. Biensoigneux, a fastidious man obsessed with neatness who meticulously hangs his clothes without wrinkles. When he rents new lodging and encounters an unfamiliar sound at night—likely a burglar or intruder—his panic causes him to fire all four chambers of his revolver indiscriminately. The joke targets obsessive tidiness and overcaution: Biensoigneux's careful habits don't prevent chaos when danger (real or imagined) strikes. His weapon-fire creates the "telling effect" mentioned, presumably destroying the very orderliness he cherishes. The accompanying "Fables for the Times" use animal allegories to mock human flaws: a camel's violent dismissal of a goat teaches politeness; a tiny pill defeats a giant through cunning (suggesting science beats brute force); and a terrapin's evasion of debt ultimately ruins him. The final note references Lady Churchill campaigning to working-class voters during an English election.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> EERE - A MIDNIGHT ENCOUNTER. [La Caricature.] M. BIENSOIGNEUX BRUSHES HIS CLOTHES CAREFULLY, ACCORDING TO HIS CUSTOM, AND HANGS THEM UP WITHOUT WRINKLES, CERTAIN HABITUES OF THE Hi ARE PRODIGAL IN THEIR CARE CAP AND PREPARES HIMSELF FOR HIS FIRST NIGHT IN THE LODGING HE HIRED THIS MORNING. EING UNACCUSTOMED TO THIS SORT ING, MR. BrENsOK UX AWAKES WITH TELLING EFFECT, RROR AND EMPTIES THE FOUR- CHAMBERS OF HIS REVOLVERS— TO THE NEW COM FABLES FOR THE TIMES. THE CAMEL AND THE GOAT, GOAT one day met a Camel, and said: “ Hello, old fellow, you seem to have your back up this morning.” “Oh! you are too low-flung for my use,” retorted the Camel, as he kicked the Goat forty yards down a steep hill. MoraL: This Fable teaches the bad policy of laughing at the afflictions of deformed people; and hints that politeness is never thrown away. THE GIANT AND THE PILL, GIANT once engaged a Pill in conversation, and be- coming suddenly angry, abused it in the most violent manner and made the most sarcastic and insulting remarks about its size and seeming weakness. The Pill did not reply to the insults, but on the following morning it secreted itself in the food that had been prepared for the Giant and thus obtained an entrance into his inner temple, where it straight- | way wreaked a direful vengeance. Mora: This Fable teaches that science is often a match for superior muscle in a pugilistic encounter. THE TERRAPIN AND THE TAILOR. TERRAPIN had for a long time avoided the payment of a tailor’s bill by shutting up his shell whenever the Tailor came about him. But one morning, when the Tailor had been thus baffled for the hundredth time, he pasted the bill on the Terrapin’s back, leaving the animal in ignorance of what had been done. The Terrapin was not worried by the Tailor any more, but by crawling through the town with the bill on his back, he lowered his credit to such an extent that he had to leave the community. y 5 Mora: This Fable teaches that while a man may avoid | his creditors by adopting a zig-zag route in walking down town, the fact of outstanding debts cannot be kept a pro- found secret. N the event of a new election in England Lady Churchill will trot out her tandem team and whoop up the pro- letariat vote. EMBEzZzLE—To steal money in large sums. comicbooks.com