Life, 1887-11-24 · page 3 of 20
Life — November 24, 1887 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Tramping for a Dinner" - November 24, 1887 This satirical dialogue mocks the economic hardships of the era. Brown encounters tramps (poor wanderers) arriving in town for Thanksgiving dinner, claiming to be his "poor relations." Jones quips they're actually his relations *coming out to* spend the holiday with him. Miss Follibud asks why merchants didn't hang two suspicious characters in Chicago. Mr. Merchant reveals a "33½ percent cent-off" discount motivated their release—satirizing how commerce and bribery override justice. The final quip celebrates that anarchists have been hanged, allowing peaceful Thanksgiving dinner without fear of Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Stevens—a dark reference to contemporary anarchist anxieties, likely alluding to the recent Haymarket affair (1886).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Votume X. ] NOVEMBER 24TH, No. 256. 1887. A TRUTHFUL ROMANCE. W E wandered in the twilight dim, Down by the river side ; My arm embraced her figure sfim, My young heart throbbed with pride. The glowing moon, a ball of gold, Shone out, as darkness grew— And I was just sixteen years old, While she was thirty-two. I looked into her witching eyes, Bent toward her upturned face, Enraptured by her shy surprise, Enchanted with her grace. 1 little knew her heart was cold, I thought her words were true— For I was just sixteen years old, And she was thirty-two. But soon she stopped my lover's plea With a sharp sob of pain, And said, with tearful voice, that she Could never wed again. Her tender tears my grief consoled, Her grief was real, knew— For I was just sixteen years old, And she was thirty-two. Since then I've been in many lands And roamed the wide world o'er, I've held in mine fair female hands— And pressed them—by the score. She is a widow still, I'm told, But I've no mind to woo— For now she's forty-eight years old While / am thirty-two. William H, Hills, TRAMPING FOR A DINNER. ROWN: I never saw so many tramps in the town before. Jon Tramps! Why, man, those are my poor relations coming out to spend Thanksgiving with me. ISS FOLLIBUD; Can you tell me, Mr. Merchant, why they did not hang those two Anarchists in Chicago ? MR. MERCHANT: Oh, that was trade discount, 33% per cent. off. E must confess to considerable relief now that the Anarchists are hanged, and, if we could only get anzintimation from Mrs. Potter that she and Mrs. Roast Beer, InpeeD! You ForcEeT Stevens were on the verge of reconciliation, we could eat our Thanksgiving dinner tits 18 THANKSGIVING, WHERE'S YOUR in perfect peace. Turkey? comicbooks.com