Life, 1887-12-08 · page 29 of 42
Life — December 8, 1887 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several brief satirical pieces typical of *Life* magazine's humor: **Main cartoon**: Shows two well-dressed women viewing a modest home's interior, commenting on "art furnishing" and observing "how people live"—satirizing upper-class voyeurism and condescension toward working-class domesticity. **References**: - "Irving's Saturday evening performances" likely alludes to Henry Irving, a famous actor, and the absurdity of pairing serious dramatic roles with "Jingle Bells" - The Prohibition reference mocks the irony of Prohibitionists using "ardent spirits" (alcohol) to energize campaign efforts - "Adam delved and Eve span" quotes medieval class commentary, satirizing pretensions about gentlemanly origins - The final joke about the "way of the transgressor" plays on biblical phrasing while having a boy cheekily answer "towards Canada"—likely referencing Canadian emigration as escape The page exemplifies *Life*'s brand of light social satire targeting pretension, hypocrisy, and absurdity in contemporary American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
POSITIVELY SO. } UCH, more, most, so says the grammar ; But we another rule demand Little less Most, or much less clamor, For much more Most we cannot stand, HOSE who assert that Irving's Saturday evening perform- ances of Mathias and Jingle form a grotesque combination are in error. The old song, “ Jingle- bells, Jingle-bells,” was certainly not grotesque, and, with the excep- tion that in Mr. Irving's combina- tion the Bells come first, we see no difference between the two cases. T. JOHN says that the Prohi- bitionists will go into the next presidential campaign with ardent spirits. If this be true, the Prohi- bition vote will be largely increased. There is nothing like ardent spi to bring out votes. N exchange reprints the old couplet: ** When Adam delved and Eve span, Who was then the gentleman?” Ifour contemporary asks this with a sincere desire for information, we would reply that a preponderance of evidence would point to Adam's being the gentleman. A BAD CASE. IDLY: Yis, and the poor thing kept sinking, and never revived until afther she had breathed her lasht. Mary ANN: Yis, and even thin she was spacheless, Oi've heard. SO CONSIDERATE. Do Let's GO IN, CAKKIE, AND TAKE A LOOK, WE MAY GET SOME NEW IDEAS ABOUT ART FURNISHING | AND THEN 11'S SO INTERESTING TO SEE HOW PEOPLE Live.” NOT SCRIPTURAL, BUT TRUE. 3 (CLERGYMAN: My boy, you were very naughty to run al know the way of the transgressor ? A PAIK OF PANTS. Boy: Yes; towards Canada, comicbooks.com