Life, 1888-06-07 · page 5 of 16
Life — June 7, 1888 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 321 Analysis This page contains three separate satirical items typical of Life's humor: 1. **Top illustration**: A domestic scene where a mother asks her son Richard if he prayed to be good; he admits asking God to make him "not get caught." It's gentle satire on childhood hypocrisy. 2. **"An Astonishing Cure"**: A doctor anecdote where Dalrymple and Briggs discuss a patient (Redwheat) who recovered remarkably after his doctor heard he'd lost heavily in a business deal. The joke: financial loss motivated recovery better than medicine. 3. **"In the Gladsome Spring-Time"**: A romantic vignette about young lovers strolling through Central Park, interrupted by police ordering them off the grass—satirizing how authorities intrude on innocent pleasure. The page reflects turn-of-century American middle-class humor emphasizing irony and gentle social commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mamma: AN ASTONISHING CURE. ALRYMPLE: Have you heard of Redwheat’s astonishing cure ? Last week he was reported ra dying, and to-day he’s on the Arg) street as hearty as any of us. Briccs: Yes; I guess his doctor must have heard the rumor that Redwheat lost heavily in that last deal, and prudently cut the job short. IN THE GLADSOME SPRING-TIME. HEY were young lovers, and as they strolled through the Ramble in Central Park, the future looked very bright and pleasant to them. “That is a dogwood-tree, my love,” he said, touching it lightly with his stick. “ How do you know that it is a dogwood-tree, George, dear?” “T can tell by its bark, my darling,” and then a policeman ordered them off the grass, and they were very, very happy. My DEAR, DID YOU NOT ASK GOD LAST NIGHT TO MAKE YOU A GOOD Boy? Richard (who has just been throwing stones at the gardener): YES, MAMMA, I ASKED HIM TO, BUT IT LOOKS AS IF HE WOULDN'T, WHAT CAUSED IT. AGISTRATE (sternly): You area pitiable specimen of humanity. What brought you to all this degrada- tion and disgrace ? PRISONER: It took two policemen. HE WENT WRONG. 66 TF you had turned your steps in the right direction, my friend,” he said solemnly to the convict, “ you would not be in this place to-day.” “Ah, no, sir,” responded the convict, with sad retro- spection; “if I had turned my steps in the right direc- tion, I would be in Canada to-day.” OME are born unfortu- nate, some achieve mis- fortune, and some have just enough money left them to have misfortune thrust upon them. MAN OF HIGH BERTH. comicbooks.com