Life, 1887-02-10 · page 1 of 16
Life — February 10, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "She Ought to Know" — Life Magazine, February 10, 1887 This is a Victorian-era domestic comedy sketch. A gentleman has been caught kissing a woman by his wife (Mrs. H.), who confronts him indignantly. When questioned why he allowed the kiss, the man claims he "couldn't be rude to a lady." Mrs. H. then pointedly asks why the other woman wanted to kiss him—implying the real question is about *her* motives and behavior, not his passivity. The humor relies on late-19th-century gender dynamics: the assumption that men are passive in romantic encounters while women are the active pursuers. The title "She Ought to Know" suggests the wife understands female nature better than her husband does. It's gentle satire of marital relations and the social hypocrisy surrounding propriety and attraction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 10, 1887. NUMBER 21s. Entered at New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1886, by MrrcHen. & Mier. SHE OUGHT TO KNOW. Mrs. H.; GREAT HEAVENS, CRANSTON! Don’T DENY IT; I SAW YOU KISS HER! Mr. H. (stiffly): You are MISTAKEN, SHE KISSED ME. Airs. H.: BUT WHY DID YOU LET HER? Mr. H,: 1 COULDN'T BE RUDE TO A LADY. Mrs. H.: BUT WHY DID SHE WANT TO KISS YOU? Mr. H.: 1 cay’ 1MaGINE, You OUGHT TO KNOW. 5 | comicbooks.com