Life, 1888-04-12 · page 11 of 16
Life — April 12, 1888 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 213 This page contains satirical commentary on American society circa the late 19th/early 20th century. **"Our Fashions in Houses"**: A French visitor marvels at an American villa, calling it a "jail." The joke mocks American architectural taste—suggesting wealthy Americans build homes resembling prisons, or that Americans imprison themselves in ugly structures. **"A Kentucky Baptism"**: The main satire depicts Colonel Fitzsmithers interrupting his own baptism to borrow the minister's gun and shoot his political rival, Major Blatherskite, over a newspaper dispute. A Black bystander is killed in the crossfire. After burying the major and the unnamed Black victim, Fitzsmithers delivers touching remarks about baptism promoting peace and "Love thy neighbor." The satire targets Southern violence, hypocrisy regarding Christian values, and racial indifference—a Black death is treated as incidental. It satirizes how violence and feuds permeate Southern (particularly Kentucky) culture, even penetrating sacred religious ceremonies. The minister's casual complicity emphasizes how normalized such behavior was.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
REMARKS. HE boiling point of “ allyn- lenedichlordibromide” is 190, while that of “methychlor- dibrompropylcarbinyl chloride” is something between 140 and 145. So, if you are in a hurry to get to your office or catch a train, you should instruct the cook to use methychlordibrom- propylcarbiny] chloride. ARION HARLAND says that it is hard for a beautiful woman to be good. Somebody must have told her. SHORT POEMS. OUR FASHIONS IN HOUSES. She (fresh from France): WHAT PRETTY JAILS YOU HAVE IN AMERICA! He: Jail? WHY THAT IS CONSIDERED THE PRETTIEST VILLA IN THE COUNTY. A KENTUCKY BAPTISM. OLONEL FITZSMITHERS, the editor of the Kentucky Greased Lighining, and a member of one of our most prominent families, was baptized and received into the Second Baptist Church, last Sunday, under most auspicious circumstances. The colonel and the Reverend Mr. Horntooter had just descended into the water preparatory to immersion, and the minister was repeating those solemn words which begin, “Brother, dost thou promise to renounce the World, the Flesh, and the Devil?” when the colonel, raising his eyes in rapt devotion, happened to espy on the bank above the familiar form of Major Blatherskite, editor of the Derringer. Now, these two gentlenten had had a political discussion, during which the major had published in the columns of the Derrénger some rather caustic truths in regard to the colonel. This affair had never been satisfactorily arranged, so that when the colonel observed the major, he leaned over until he could catch the ear of the minister without being noticed, and whispered : “Go right along with the sarvice, parson. Don’t let any of them critters suspect “ON A SLEEPING INFANT." I’m a-talkin’ to you, but I'd be obliged if you could give me the loan of your shootin’- iron for a moment, as I left mine on the bank.” = | pcceuRROGATE Ney The minister, taking in the situation at a glance, managed to slip his six-shooter vives | into the colonel’s hand without being seen by the crowd, and then, by a quick move- ment, he gained the bank, and the firing began. After three or four shots had been exchanged, with no other result than killing a negro, who was standing on the opposite bank, the colonel happened to get the drop on the major while he was trying to escape, and thus ended the dispute. After this little incident, the minister once more descended into the water, and the ceremony was concluded. Before the assemblage dispersed, however, the major and the negro were buried, and the colonel in a few touching words extolled the virtues of baptism, saying that its effects were to abolish all feelings of violence, and to teach nee that beautiful precept, “ Love thy neighbor as thyself!” RELATIVE,” G. E. Throop. comicbooks.com