Life, 1887-06-02 · page 3 of 18
Life — June 2, 1887 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "Life" Magazine Page 303 The page contains a poem titled "Traphon's Wail" illustrated with a figure holding a scythe in a rural landscape. The narrative describes a man lamenting that his sweetheart Sally married a wealthy "City Swell" instead of staying with him, a country laborer. The satire targets the social mobility and materialism of the era—the implication that rural working-class men lose romantic prospects to wealthier urban suitors. The Grim Reaper imagery (scythe) suggests Death itself as a metaphor for the man's romantic despair. Below the poem are humorous "New Definitions" mocking contemporary terms like "Lie," "Doodler," and "Slang," plus a separate joke about an Englishman's motto and Patti's expensive voice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
11! Sally was ez sweet a lass As ere the sun he riz on: Her eyes so blue, her teeth of pearl, And golden locks all in a curl, Made for my heart a prison. But summer boarders came along To fill her father's pocket ; An’ fust we knew, that wicked girl Had give one Dude a shining curl, An’ he'd give her a locket. She's married to the City Swell— Her heart an’ all is his'n. We do not mourn, not us, but say, Ef her will let we go our way, Why we'll let she go shis'n. NEW DEFINITIONS. 1E: A method of self-justification exacted by the de- mands of fashion and the higher influences of civil- ization. BoovLer: A gentleman of high instincts, shrinking mod- esty and ample fortune, who when persecuted by foes retires into a hole and pulls the whole in after bim. SLANG: An elastic medium out of which we construct a unique vocabulary for elevating the tone and imparting flexibility to the English language. INFORMATION WANTED. R. HOWELL 'S autobiographical remarks on childhood are charming to read, but they are disappointing for the reason that we are left in the dark as to whether in the olden days he parted his hair on the left or the right side; how many bites he made per apple, and whether he had to rise at seven minutes before seven or thirteen minutes after six on cold winter mornings. It is to be hoped the great Particularizer will enlighten us | on these points. EpIToR: A man who accumulates an enormous fortune by minding other people's business. Epucation: Animproved method of enlarging the biceps; the subjugation of mind to muscle, but sometimes an exchange | of muscular force for mental inaptitude. Harold van Santvoord. PA Vhs OF ENGLAND ferryman has the following motto: “No crown, no cross!” HENOMENAL aas it may appear it is still true that Patti’s voice is full of precious stones. This accounts for $7 admissions. CUTTING AN ACQUAINTANCE. comicbooks.com