Life, 1888-03-22 · page 12 of 16
Life — March 22, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Humor Page Analysis This page contains six short satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine humor: 1. **"A Pleasant Superiority"**: A joke about the moon being "fuller" (more complete/drunk) and thus more brilliant—a play on the phrase "the fuller he gets." 2. **"A Notable Exception"**: References the proverb "when wine is in, wit is out," noting it wasn't said about Depew (likely Chauncey Depew, a prominent figure of the era). 3. **"Putting It in Another Light"**: A mother encourages her daughter Clara to marry the wealthy Mr. Featherly despite his goodness, reasoning "the good die young"—dark humor about marrying for money. 4. **"Disappointed Amateur Author"**: Satirizes rejection-prone writers; the practical friend suggests a subscription to the magazine itself as the only publishable content. 5. **"Occidental"**: Contrasts Eastern and Western work ethics—a Westerner boasts that mild weather prompts seasonal work. 6. **"Civilization"**: Two working-class men mock Chinese diligence as barbarism while heading to a saloon. These pieces mock social pretensions, publishing gatekeeping, gender dynamics, and ethnic stereotypes common to the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
170 > LIFE: A PLEASANT SUPERIORITY. HE man in the moon has one advantage over his terrestrial brothers: The fuller he gets the more bril- liant he grows. A NOTABLE EXCEPTION. HEN the wine is in the wit is out’ was not spoken of PUTTING IT IN ANOTHER LIGHT. NERGETIC MOTHER: You should do your best to impress Mr. Featherly, Clara: he is awfully rich, and very, very good. Cxara: I know that, mother; but he is too good. I hate good men. MOTHER: Yes; but think, my dear. The good die young. [Clara promises to consider the matter. ISAPPOINTED AMATEUR AUTHOR: I have just received my drama back with thanks. I have sent poems, essays and stories, but everything gets returned. What can I send that will meet with acceptance ? SYMPATHETIC AND PRACTICAL FRIEND: Try atwelve- months’ subscription. (73 A,” inquired Bobby, “are all men made of dust?” “No, my boy,” responded the old man, “some are made of mud.” OCCIDENTAL. New Yorker; HOW. DOES THIS COMPARE WITH MOST OF YOUR WEATHER ? Western Man: WELL, WHEN A MILD SPELL STRIKES US LIKE THIS WE GENERALLY THROW OFF OUR OVERCOATS AND BEGIN TER PLANT. CIVILIZATION. “Say, Jim; IT SEEMS TER ME THAT THOSE CHINESE ARE ALWAYS AT WORK !"* ‘““AH, THEY'RE BARBARIANS AN’ DON’T KNOW NO BETTER. LET’s GO TO THE SALOON AN’ SEE IF WE CAN’T STRIKE SOME UN FER A DRINK!” AN EXPERT. 6¢ T SEE-you advertise for a feeder,” said a seedy-looking tramp who had called at the office of a rural journal. “T do,” returned the editor, “but I want an expert, and your looks are against you.” HY doesn’t the Society for the Suppression of Ice get in a little useful work on the pavements ? comicbooks.com int for 24