Life, 1886-08-26 · page 12 of 16
Life — August 26, 1886 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page contains three satirical pieces typical of late-19th-century American humor: **Top Section**: A naturalist's tongue-in-cheek essay on "game fish," where species names are puns for women ("Heiressia," "Motherinlawya"). The joke satirizes both pretentious naturalist writing and the social reality of women as objects to be "caught"—comparing courtship to fishing. References to "bank checks" suggest wealthy women. **Middle Section**: "After Stale News" features an English actor arriving in America who jokes he's already given his impressions to a Chicago newspaper before even disembarking. This mocks the rapid spread of press coverage and the actor's eagerness for publicity. **Bottom Section**: A cartoon captioned "The Problem Solved" depicts a boarding house dinner where the narrator complains food is always out of reach while servants seem unwilling to serve him. It satirizes the indignities and poor service of boarding house life—a common complaint in this era. All three pieces mock social pretension, gender relations, and middle-class domestic inconveniences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
: LIFE - and has been known to consume bank checks in large quan- tities. The Hedressda, by the way, is one of the most valuable of our game fish. I have seen several taken, this summer, with a fly. The best flies seem to be the Blonde Mustache and the Curly Lock, though Hezressza will sometimes rise to a Gray Hackle or a Sallow Worldling fly. Later in the season, she may be caught with simple bait, but it must be skillfully chosen. I notice that, in summer, the Coguetta Archismilea frequents springs and other watering-places. Though numerous, it is hard to obtain specimens. The best method of securing them is to set traps, but the danger is that you, instead of the Co- quetta, will be caught in the trap. Motherinlawya nagya infests both the cities and the rural districts. I bagged one, some time ago, but found her so troublesome that I let her go again. A friend of mine, who secured a remarkably vivacious Motherinlawya, unfortunately drowned her before I had an opportunity of dissecting her: brain-— an operation’ which would have been of great service to science and to intending bridegrooms, Yours. Naturalist. AIL HAMILTON scolds Gladstone for his essay on Genesis. The pert young Miss grows very sensitive when her early literary efforts are subjected to criticism. AFTER STALE*'NEWS. NTERVIEWER (to famous English actor, who is about to land in this country for the first time): What do you think of America? ENGLISH ACTOR: You are too late, my young friend. Second Y. L.: AM NOT IMPRESSED, CANNOT ABIDE BALD- INTERVIEWER: Too)later . . HEADED MEN. ENGLISH ACTOR: Yes; I gave my impressions of your First Y, L.: Baup-HEADED! WHY, HIS HEAD Is Nor BaLp. | great and glorious country to the correspondent of a Chicago Second Y.L.; OW, YES, 1T Is—INSIDE! paper when we boarded ship. First Young Lady: AND HOW DO YOU LIKE MR. Brisk? I SAW HIM WITH YOU A MOMENT. Ler cea DicesTien lar on APPETIT THE PROBLEM SOLVED. “(IT INVARIABLY FIND THAT THE VIANDS ARE JUST BEYOND MY REACH, WHILE MY TABLE NEIGHRORS AND THE SERVANT APPEAR TO HAVE SOME UNACCOUNTABLE AVERSION TO PASSING ME THE REQUIRED DISHES. THE PROBLEM IS, HOW TO GET AT THE FOOD!” — Advance sheets of “ The Autobiography of a Boarder.” LE DOUEAL