Life, 1887-09-08 · page 7 of 16
Life — September 8, 1887 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 133 This page contains three separate satirical pieces: 1. **"A Dreadful Error"**: A dialogue joke about a Bostonian woman (Miss Waldo) mistakenly thought to be from Chicago—apparently a humorous jab at regional American identities. 2. **"Overheard in Rotten Row"**: A brief exchange contrasting English and American women's behavior regarding "the hansom in the row" (hansom cabs)—likely poking fun at transatlantic social customs and propriety differences. 3. **"Very Depressing"**: A cartoon showing a social gathering with the caption mocking Jones's bad news about his mother's health, suggesting the phrase "very depressing" is an understatement—social satire about English understatement and politeness conventions. The illustrations depict period-appropriate Victorian-era clothing and social settings, typical of Life's genteel humor targeting upper-class society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: of the speaker as he moved his arms to give expression to his recitation. When the last word had trembled into an echo, and dispersed itself, a vapor, into the darkness, Mr.* Pagina stared fearfully through the shadows at the dim figure before him. “Cupid,” he said, “starting up and rubbing his eyes, “1 have all my life wronged you deeply. I shall reform.” He raised the lamp. ve Cupid and the shadows had disappeared. Mr. Pagina sat down at once and wrote out an ode to Cupid, in strict accordance with what he had just heard and learned. “ The truth shall come out now,” he muttered, “and Cupid will no longer be maligned by those who know him not.” He sent the production that same night to his favorite satirical paper—one which had often before printed his metrical misrepresentations of the youthful deity. The very next mail brought his poem back with the cour- teous announcement : a DEAR SIR:—Wee regret to say that the accompanying manuscript is not available. We accordingly return it to your address.—EpDIToR Decape. Vladimir Vix, 133 A DREADFUL ERROR. ¢¢ TF that young Mr. Wabash should call, mamnid” said a Boston young lady, “I shall instruct the servant to say that I am not at home.” “ Why, Penelope?” “He said to me, last evening, in the conservatory at Mrs. Bunker's: ‘And are you really a Bostonian, Miss Waldo? I had somehow got the impression that you were from Chicago,’ 6 i [ne EY must ‘a’ been pretty drunk,” remarked Mrs. riggins reading of a dinner to the Prince of Wales. “It says here, ‘The health of Her Majesty was proposed and the toast was drunk with enthusiasm.’ Who ever heard of drinkin’ toast, I'd like to know?” OVERHEARD IN ROTTEN ROW. Ecise GIRL: They don’t allow the hansom in the row, you know. AMERICAN GIRL: I noticed that particularly of the women doncherknow, you know. VERY DEPRESSING. De Sappy: Av, JONES, HOW IS YOOR MOTHER THIS MORNING ? Jones: NO WETTER, THANK YOU. De Sappy: VERY NATURALLY, OLD oY. I) RREAKS ME ALL UP. Tuts mal de mere 18 VERY DEPRESSING. comicbooks.com