Life, 1888-02-16 · page 12 of 20
Life — February 16, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains two distinct satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **Top Comic Strip ("Another Dynamite Outrage"):** A four-panel joke about "Papa Van Dyke" whose neighbor "Augustus" plays loud music every evening at 10 o'clock. The strip satirizes the frustration of noise complaints, culminating with Papa plotting revenge—likely involving dynamite (a common comedic threat of the era). The humor relies on exaggerated domestic annoyance. **Main Article ("Saint Valentine at Windsor"):** A satirical story mocking Queen Victoria and the British royal postal system. It ridicules: - Postage due charges on royal correspondence (the Pope's valentine, French documents, Parnell's petition) - Victoria's refusal to pay modest fees while enjoying royal privileges - Prince of Wales's (Bert's) valentine pleading with his mother to retire and let him rule, invoking French republicanism as a threat The satire targets British class privilege, royal entitlement, and the tension between aging Victoria and her impatient heir—contemporary political anxieties wrapped in absurdist humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ANOTHER DYNAMITE OUTRAGE ; Or, How Papa Van Dyke Rip HIMSELF OF A NOCTURNAL NUISANCE. Punctually, at x0 o'clock every evening, Augustus dis Which pleases Arabella. courseth music. SAINT VALENTINE AT WINDSOR. HE Chum to Potentates, on his way home from the Pope's Jubilee, stopped over-night at Windsor Castle, whither he had been invited by Her Goodness Graciousness the Queen. It was Saint Valentine’s eve when the Chum arrived at the Castle. Regina and Prince Batten- berg met him at the depot with two carriages. Victoria had a gold- plated barouche studded with jewels ; while Battenberg had a tin-foil baby carriage, the only seat of which was occupied by Jubilee Batten- berg and a rag doll. Not caring for babies or dolls, the Chum en- tered the barouche with the Queen, and left Battenberg senior and junior to wheel each other home as best they could. The castle was reached in short order, and after a light luncheon, of which the Queen partook so heavily that the Chum went to_bed hungry, the Throne Room was thrown open, and Her Majesty commanded the Post- master-General to bring in the Imperial Mail-bag and distribute its contents. The Duke of the Stamp Department made a deep salaam before Her Majesty, and stated that before delivering the letters he begged to call the Crown's attention to the fact that there was sixpence due on a valentine from the Pope, tuppence on a bulky document from France, and a shilling short on a communication from Mr. Parnell. These sums the Duke thought should be paid before the letters were delivered. The Queen smiled sweetly—that same rare smile that Elizabeth used to indulge when ordering her nobles to the block— and suggested the impropriety of her spending sixpence for what would in all probability transpire to be a penny valentine, tuppence for an unreceipted board-bill, and a shilling for a petition from Parnell which she would not receive were she to be paid a shilling for the service. The Duke acknowledged the force of Her Majesty's remarks, but decided that in view of the public feeling regarding Royal preroga- tives the letters could not be delivered until paid for; so they were returned to the dead-letter office until Parliament votes another tax Who seeketh long and diligently some plan to abate the nuisance. But not Papa on the necessities of the Briton to pay Her Majesty’s overdue letter rates, This discussion over, the rest of the mail was opened, and was found to consist of the following valentines : All hail Victoria! Warble a gloria To England’s Queen. Long may she live and reign _And may she ever deign To use Purline.—Adv. Her Majesty puzzled for some moments over the signature and finally decided that Mr. Adv, whoever he was, was an utter stranger to her, and signified her desire that the next valentine should be read. It bore the Sandringham postmark, and was as follows : Mother ! A name far sweeter than any other ; Even Queen Doth take a seat behind the scene, ‘When “ Ma” 1 Is echoed from afar. Thine age doth fill my soul with doting fears, Lest thou o’erburdened be with years. Do thou assume thy place in leisure’s gallery ; Resign thy throne—if needs be keep thy salary, Oh, lovely Mater ! Thy boy must get there sooner, eke or later: Give Bert a chance, Ere England followeth in the wake of France, And with Freedom’s rod thy boy doth drub, lick ; And for a Republic Turn the scales. Affectionately, WALES. “Dear boy,” quoth the Queen ; '* he is so anxious about his poor old mother, and so needlessly anxious. I’m good for many a year of usefulness yet, and Eddie's young days must not be clouded with the cares of statecraft. Next!” > comicbooks.com