Life, 1888-05-24 · page 7 of 18
Life — May 24, 1888 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This page contains a single-panel cartoon by A.J. Clapp depicting a bedroom scene where an aunt questions a nephew about whether an "inexperienced young man" can amputate her leg, to which the nephew replies he's willing to try. The humor derives from the absurd situation: the aunt is casually proposing amateur surgery for a serious medical procedure. This likely satirizes either medical quackery of the era or the desperation of patients facing expensive legitimate medical care. Below the cartoon is a "Revised Proverbs" section offering humorous rewrites of traditional sayings, touching on housing, ledgers, cats, and politics. The page concludes with a fashion illustration labeled "Spring Styles."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Aunt: Do YOU THINK SUCH AN INEXPERIENCED YOUNG MAN CAN CUT OFF MY LEG? Nephew: HE SAYS HE IS WILLING TO TRY. REVISED PROVERBS. F two houses, choose that which is not leased. As the paper is ruled, the ledger is ink-lined. NEVER buy a cat in a bag. You can nearly always get one for nothing. LABOR conquers everything except the opposition to a Labor candidate for Congress. SHOE-MANUFACTURING corporations have soles. BE sure you are wronged; then go ahead—with your suit for damages. A ROSE by any other name would cost as much. Wm. H. Stviter, . SPRING STYLES. MERIT will tell: even in strawberry baskets the best rise to the top. A BOSTON FASHION PLATE,