Life, 1888-05-10 · page 7 of 16
Life — May 10, 1888 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 265 of Life Magazine - Content Analysis This page contains several satirical pieces typical of Life's humor magazine format: **"The Cigar"** - A humorous poem about men enjoying cigars after dinner, playing on the Victorian-era idea of smoking as a mark of leisure and masculine authority ("monarchy o'er a kingdom"). **"Character in Handwriting"** - A brief joke about someone named J. Watson Albans requesting credit, with the punchline that his signature is too illegible to be taken seriously. **"Protecting the Members"** - A dialogue satirizing church licensing debates, where a saloon-keeper argues against restricting alcohol sales near churches. **"A New Dish"** and **"The Cigar" illustration** - Humorous anecdotes about dining and art. The top illustration depicts women reading or discussing literature in a domestic interior, with dialogue about fermentation and gardening. These pieces represent typical turn-of-the-century American satirical humor targeting social customs, manners, and Victorian propriety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mary: F-r- Mamma: Now THE CIGAR. (AFTER DINNER.) OW every man is monarch o’er a kingdom of his own, Each guest a royal prince is, and every seat a throne ; Life’s cares so quickly vanish, dissent and rancors cease— Our brows adorned with crowns of smoke, we reign in perfect peace, Edgar A. P, Newcomb, CHARACTER IN HANDWRITING. “ HO is this J. Watson Albans, Mr. Greenedge? He asks for a consignment upon thirty days’ credit.” “Never heard of him, Mr. Magnate, but he can’t amount to much. His signature at the end of his letter is too legible for a man of any importance.” PROTECTING THE MEMBERS. ITIZEN (¢o saloon-keeper): What's the idea in not granting licenses to saloons within two hundred feet of a church? SALOON-KEEPER: I s'pose it’s to give some of the mem- bers a safer chance. HEAR young Fastleigh has been painting the town red since his uncle left him a quarter of a million.” “Why, anybody could paint the town red with a quart of ver- milion.” A NEW DISH. 6“ HAT are those?” ask- ' ed a man at a St. Louis restaurant, pointing to a dish. “Fried soles,” replied the waiter. “Have one?” “Let me have a heel first, and if I don’t like it, there won’t be so much to throw away.” comicbooks.com