Life, 1888-03-22 · page 4 of 16
Life — March 22, 1888 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Life" Magazine Page 162: Analysis This page contains several satirical sections targeting early 1890s American society: **"In the Spring"** mocks wealthy young men whose fashionable lifestyle (fur-trimmed neckties, winter trips to Montana) creates artificial desires disconnected from reality. **"Conscientious Scruples"** satirizes Sunday observance hypocrisy—Mrs. O. won't attend church without a footman, yet criticizes stages running on the Sabbath. The cartoon highlights class-based moral inconsistency. **"Three Types of Episcopalians"** categorizes Anglican church members by social attitude: lazy, broad-minded, and fanatically pious. The lower **"Theatrical Terms"** section uses theatrical vocabulary as visual puns for social situations—"First Old Woman," "Heavy Juvenile," etc.—common satirical humor for this era's middle-class readers familiar with theater conventions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IN THE SPRING. N the Spring, a livelier necktie glows upon the young man’s breast ; In the Spring he lays his ulster on ‘‘ mine uncle’s” shelves to rest ; In the Spring the wandering blizzard from Montana’s icy clime, Makes him wish he had that faded ulster back a second time. * * * CONSCIENTIOUS SCRUPLES. <O BADIAH, OF FIFTH AVENUE (¢o Mrs. Obadiah): Aren't you going to church this morning, my dear? Mrs. O.: No; I'm compelled, to stay at home. Parker says the footman is sick. Fancy how it would look driving to church without a footman on the box! Mr. O.: Why don't you take a stage? Mrs. O.: Because I think it is down- right wicked that the stages are permitted to run on Sunday. * * * HERE is a new pamphlet out, en- titled, “The National Bank Act.” The National Bank act of the present day consists largely of skipping off to English territory with all the funds. * THREE TYPES OF EPISCOPALIANS. OW and lazy Broad and hazy, High and crazy. * * * GERMAN composer has written a funeral march, to be played on black keys only. What with the increase of “green goods” men and large apartment houses, the visitor to New York gets an idea that this town is all sharps and flats. * * * “ HE Man Behind,” is the title of a political novel just published in Chicago. It is supposed to deal with Mr. Blaine, and the late campaign. * * * S it a fact that Congress is to be asked to appropriate a large sum of money towards the support of a con- servatory of music in New York? Who supports the con- servatory in Boston? What will Texas get for voting for such an appropriation? If music in New York becomes a national charge, why not general education in the South? What are our eminent and cultured fellow-citizens think- ing of that they imagine such a measure will do? * * THEATRICAL TERMS. “ PIRST OLD WOMAN.” “WELL BILLED.” HEAVY JUVENILE.” ‘A STRONG Cast.” ‘\A POOR STUDY.” comicbooks.com