Life, 1888-01-19 · page 11 of 16
Life — January 19, 1888 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page contains three separate satirical humor pieces typical of 19th-century American comedy magazines: **"A Sad Mistake"** mocks a newspaper advertiser who sued over a typo—his "Quick Cure for Consumption" was printed as "Quack Cure," potentially reaching 200,000 readers. The joke is the advertiser's outrage over what appears to be an honest mistake that actually undermined his dubious medical product. **"A Great Descent"** plays on class pretension: Mr. McCorkle boasts of his proud ancestry to Miss Nivens, who delivers a cutting reply—his "descent" (lineage) is actually a "descent" (decline), suggesting his family has deteriorated. **"Answered"** responds to a James Russell Lowell poem published in *Atlantic Monthly*. Life mocks Lowell's flowery question about spreading his "fancy" to mortals by literalizing his metaphors: if his fancy is a centipede, shoeing it costs money; if he "wings" it like a gun, that's dangerous. The advice: send it to the *New York World* instead. The illustrations on the left appear to be from "Paul Kauvar," a theatrical production.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE- stage was gladly noted by the audience. Joseph Haworth, as the hero, is painstaking. This young man strives hard after originality, but does not always attain his object. He is young, manly, and good looking, however, and understands his busi- ness. I did not think much of the much- described mob. All mob-makers should have visited the Academy of Music before “Julius Casar” was withdrawn from the house, and taken lessons in drilling supers from Messrs. Booth and Barrett. Alan Date, A SAD MISTAKE. DVERTISER (furzously) : I'll have damages from you, sir! You have ruined my business. NEWSPAPER MAN: Calm yourself, pray, What's the matter ? ADVERTISER: Don’t you see that you have referred here to my “ Quick Cure for Consumption” as a “Quack Cure for Consumption?” And this has gone before 200,000 readers! A GREAT DESCENT. R. MCCORKLE (an attenuated dude standing before portrait of a broad-chested warrior-like ancestor): 1 tell you, Miss Nivens, I’m no snob, but I’m proud of my descent. Miss NIVENS: You should be, Mr. McCorkle; it has been a great one! ANSWERED. T have a fancy; how shall I bring it Home to all mortals wherever they be ? Say it or sing it? Shoe it or wing it ? So it may outrun and outfly me, Merest cocoon-web whence it broke free ? HE {above is a rather complicated question asked by Mr. James Russell Lowell in the current 4é/antic, If we were Mr. Lowell, and happened to have a fancy, we don’t think we would say it unless we had made up our minds to say it in English, dropping all influences acquired by a long foreign experience. Neither would we sing it were we Mr. Lowell, for were we Mr. Lowell, we should _ doubt the mellifluity of our voice even more than we do now. i As for shoeing it, that would depend upon the number of feet it possessed and their size. If his fancy is centipedal, this would be expensive, and to bring it home to all mortals, even with the ordinary number of feet, would wear out no inconsiderable amount of shoe-leather. Mr. Lowell might wing it, as he suggests, if he is a good shot and has a gun. Otherwise, the operation might prove dangerous to his neighbors. This shooting of fancies is good sport in season, but unsatisfactory to the inexperienced hand. Regarding the poet's desire to have the ‘ merest cocoon-web” outrun and outfly him, our candid advice is to retain it until March and then let her go on the first regular wind that comesalong. To make the issue certain, Mr. Lowell might take it to Boston and try it on the east wind there. Even so material and earthly an article as a silk hat would outfly and outrun Mr. Lowell under such circumstances, and surely the ‘‘ merest cocoon-web” would make a record that could not fail to satisfy the most ardent poet. We fear Mr. Lowell has made a grave mistake in publishing his fancy in the Atlantic Monthly, if he wishes it brought “ home to all mortals, wherever they be.”” Should Mr. Lowell live until 2222 he might publish it in Volapuk, but for the immediate present his best measure would be to send it to the New York World, or get FROM ‘‘PAUL KAUVAR.” Rider Haggard to lick it into shape and publish it as his own. comicbooks.com