Life, 1887-08-04 · page 11 of 14
Life — August 4, 1887 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 67 This page contains several short satirical pieces typical of early Life magazine's humor: **"Osculatory"** jokes about a young couple (Angelo and Sophia) kissing in darkened rooms while the aunt and mother in adjacent rooms hear suspicious sounds—"like the drawing of corks"—alarming them. The satire targets both propriety violations and the era's high gas bills that made darkness economical. **"In the Smoking-Room"** mocks exaggeration in travel stories, with men boasting increasingly outlandish sea voyages (Cape, London-to-India, around Cape Horn) in a competitive one-upmanship typical of period male braggadocio. **"A Great Future"** satirizes provincial self-promotion: a wife claims Knoxville newspapers predict the town's industrial dominance—circular reasoning that exposes local boosterism. **"A Literary Movement"** puns on a poet running downstairs from an angry editor as a "literary movement." The final exchange plays on "Jim pansies" (jimson weeds) sounding like "chimpanzees," targeting obtuse wordplay humor common to the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OSCULATORY. Mother (in room No, 1, rising suddenly): WUAT WAS THAT? Aunt (in room No. 2, rising suddenly): WHAT Was THAT? Sophia (in room No, 3, to Angelo): OM, ANGELO, DEAR, YOU LO NOT MIND SITTING IN THE DARK, DO YOU? MA SAYS THAT HER GAS HILL FOR LAST MONTH WAS SOMETHING POSITIVELY DREAD- FUL, AND THAT (And then followed sounds like the drawing of corks; no wonder rooms 1 and 2 were alarmed.) PROVERBLETS. IT is more blessed to receive than to ask. A BAD pun in the bush is worth two in the hand. UMBRELLAS do not come home to roost. Mystery is the mother of a witness's invention. ALWAYS look a gift mug in the mouth. GP. L. IN THE SMOKING-ROOM. T was in mid-ocean and the fog was thick enough to lean against. The pools were all sold and there was nothing to do but play poker and exaggerate. “Well, this is a pretty tough trip,” said the fat English- man who was dealing the cards. “ Most as tedious as the one I made to the Cape.” “ Been to the Cape, eh!" said the drummer. “ Well that’s a good ways to go, but I've sailed from London to India in a single sticker.” id a sleepy man who could hardly keep his I've been around the Horn.” isked the Englishman. “ All night,” was the reply as the gong rang for dinner. x pars R. HOWELLS is said to have written his Fog-horn Conclusion in mid-ocean, AFTER THE BALL. IL E raved about her half the day, “The other girls are quite d/asées ; One gets so tired of all this whirl, It’s really nice to see a girl So young and fresh,” M. While pretty Dolly’s golden head Held thought of him just while she said, ‘He rather liked me, do you know ; It’s quite a pity he is so— So young and fresh.” A GREAT FUTURE. IFE: I see the newspapers predict that Knoxville, Tenn., will be the future centre of this country for iron, coal and lumber. Huspanp: What papers predict that? Wire: The Knoxville papers. SPRING poet groping his way down six flights of Stairs, six steps at a time, with the editor a close second, might be called a literary movement. She: HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHIMPANZEES UP AT THE PARK? He; NO; ARE THEY IN BLOOM NOW? She: ARE WHAT IN BLOOM? He: Wy, THE Jim PANSIES, comicbooks.com