Life, 1886-09-09 · page 1 of 16
Life — September 9, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Near-Sighted" Cartoon Analysis This 1886 *Life* magazine cartoon satirizes religious hypocrisy. A clergyman invites two women ("Miss Blanche" and friend) to ride in his carriage to church, claiming piety. However, the women decline, saying they "only go for the walk"—implying the clergyman's true motives are romantic rather than spiritual. The title "Near-Sighted" suggests the clergyman cannot see (or pretends not to see) his own obvious impropriety. The joke ridicules clergy who use religious authority as cover for pursuing women, while also gently mocking the women for their transparent excuse. This reflects late-Victorian skepticism about clerical morality and the gap between public piety and private behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BVYOLUME VIII. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 9, 1886. Entered at New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1886, by Mrrcumtt & Miter, NEAR-SIGHTED. Clergyman (overtaking two members of his congregation on their way to church): WON'T YOU AND YOUR FRIEND GET IN AND DRIVE WITH ME’ TO CHURCH, MISS BLANCHE? Miss Blanche (innocently): Ou, No, | THANK YOU, WE ONLY GO FOR THE WALK.