Life — May 3, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "How It Works in Our Climate" - Life Magazine, May 3, 1888 The cartoon satirizes truancy and parental excuses in late 19th-century America. A teacher questions a student named Jane about her absence from school. Jane's response—that she stayed home "to be cured of the hay"—represents a common Victorian-era excuse: hay fever (seasonal allergies). The joke mocks both the implausibility of the excuse and the era's tendency to treat minor ailments as serious medical conditions requiring home rest. The title "How It Works in Our Climate" suggests this is a typical American response to seasonal discomfort. The ornate left border contains other Life magazine content and advertisements, indicating this was a standard feature-page layout for the publication.