Life, 1886-12-09 · page 27 of 36
Life — December 9, 1886 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple short humorous sketches satirizing domestic life and human foibles: **"The New Housekeeper"** jokes about a newlywed wife's incompetence—she can't make biscuits because she's forgotten the flour, requiring her husband to whisper the answer. The satire targets both the new bride's domestic inexperience and the condescending patience of young husbands. **"A Series of Disasters"** mocks a chronic panhandler who claims successive catastrophes (Charleston earthquake, Ohio River floods) as excuses. The joke's cynicism suggests professional beggars recycled sob stories. **"A Chicago Night Picture"** depicts a drunk man hiccupping profanities, which his wife assumes are directed at her until he clarifies he's addressing the coal scuttle—humor from the absurdity of drunken confusion. The bottom section shows a child manipulating his grandfather into kissing the nurse, demonstrating childish scheming. **Lundborg's Perfume advertisement** uses a Christmas morning scene where parents present luxury toiletries, reflecting early 20th-century consumer culture and gift-giving expectations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE NEW HOUSEKEEPER, “cc war is the matter with my little wife ?” Her dainty head falls on his shoulder, and between the sobs that shake her slight frame, she says : ““Wi-Will, I fe-feel so b-a-ad. I wanted to make some bi-bi-biscuit this noon, d got the wa-wa-water and s-a-a-l-t and ye-ye-yeast, but there’s something mi-mi-missing, and I can’t think wha-wha-what it is.” Mr. Youngman smiled quietly, and clasping his young wife to his watch pocket he placed his lips to her ear and whispered, ‘ Flour.” READING an anecdote about Brillat-Savarin’s invitation toa very meagre private dinner, where, in response to his host’s complacent invitation, ‘‘ When shall we repeat this little debauch ?” the epicure replied, ‘‘ Right now, if you please,” the historian was reminded of a little episode in the career of the Rev. Mr. Chasuble, copal clergyman of his acquaintance, who for some time presided over the religious services in one of our suburban towns. Chasuble was a good deal of a gourmet as well as a faithful pastor. One day he happened in at a parishioners house about dinner time, and weakly accepted an invitation to dinner. He found the table decorated with a sporadic dish here and there, with nothing that prom- ised the smallest satisfaction for either the appetite or the palate. “Mr. Chasuble,” said the head of the house, ‘will you offer our thanks for these viands ?” “J would be glad to accommodate you,” said the clergyman, ‘but I haven't got the cheek !" — Boston Record. A SERIES OF DISASTERS. Tramp: Won't you help a poor man that lost his family by the Charleston earthquake ? HOUSEKEEPER : Why, you are the same man that lost his family last year by the Ohio River floods. TRaMP: I know it, mum, I am one of the most unfortunate gintleman on the face of the earth, — Ex, A CHICAGO NIGHT PICTURE. He came in very late, and while groping about in the dark delivered himself of the following : “(Hig —! (hic) — 1! (hic) — 111” “Are you addressing such language to me, sir ?” demanded his wife from under the bed clothes. “No, m’dear,” he said, ‘I wash speakin’ t’ th’ coal scuttle.” — The Sun. Small Boy: GRANbPA, DON'T YOU THINK MAGGIE MIGHT Do wHaT I WANT HER TO DO? Grandpa: YES, DEAR. Small Boy: 1 WANT HER TO KISS YOU, GRANDPA, WHAT LO YOU WANT NURSE TO DO? CHRISTMAS “Oh Papa and Mamma! Lundborg’s Lundborg’s Lundborg’s Lundborg’s Lundborg’s Rhenish Cologne. Perfume, Perfume, Perfume, Perfume, If you cannot, Bineet, Now = = SS MORNING, How good of you! And you have remembered the Lundborg Perfumes and Cologne that | asked you for, too! Oh! Oh! Oh!" Edenia. Maréchal Niel Rose. Alpine Violet. Lily of the Valley. sho Price Liss tothe muensrarey) YOUNG) EAD COFEN: Ba Barclay comicbooks.com