Life, 1888-06-28 · page 9 of 21
Life — June 28, 1888 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 367 This page contains several satirical sketches typical of early Life magazine's humor: **"Unnecessary Emotion"** satirizes a daughter's restrained grief over an uncle's death—she's unmoved by his generosity ($10,000 inheritance) but shocked by his lack of remembrance toward her. **"Other Hearts Will Ache"** mocks excessive sympathy, with a "Sympathetic Old Lady" expressing melodramatic concern about a friend's wife, only to reveal she's primarily worried about the friend's bigamy charge. **"A Narrow Escape"** depicts a man buying bracelets for a woman named Clara Gushington, nearly exposed as a scoundrel when his sister intervenes. **"A Gentleman Tooter"** and the oyster/throat anecdote are brief joke vignettes about social absurdities and miscommunication—typical of the magazine's light, observational humor format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
UNNECESSARY EMOTION. OTHER (¢odaugh- ter): I was sur- prised and shocked, Clara, that you should show so little emotion at the fu- neral of your Uncle James. And he leaves you in his will ten thousand dollars, too... DAUGHTER: Yes, mamma; but when the funeral took place I had no idea that dear Uncle James had remembered me so generously. OTHER HEARTS§ WILL ACHE, YMPATHETIC OLD LADY (¢o convict): Ah, my unfor- tunate friend, your fate is indeed a hard one, and as she thinks of you here in this dreadful place, how your poor wife must suf- fer! Convicr (very much affected): Wh—which one, mum? I’m up for A NARROW ESCAPE. Jack: You KNow HOW MADLY I WoRSHIP CLARA GUSHINGTON ? His Sister: Yes, JACK, AND I THINK SHE IS INT IN YOU, Jack: WELL, I HAVE BOUGHT HER A BEAUTIFUL PAIR OF BRACELETS, BUT I AM AFRAID THEY ARE A LITTLE LARGE. His Sister (faintly): HEAVENS, JACK! THOSE ARE NOT BRACEL ! NUTRITIOUS AND MEDICINAL. ae l fees bawled my throat sore yellin’ fer those oysters,” said an angry customer in a restaurant. ‘“ What's the matter?” “Orders ahead, sah,” explained the waiter. “Yo'll fin’ dem raw oysters wery soothin’, sah, fo’ sore throat.” DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. HE (of Boston): 1 have seen it stated that Browning has refused one thousand dollars for a short poem. HE: Is it possible! Why, what do you suppose he means? “No NOOSE IS GOOD NOOSE.” SHE: Impossible to say. Nobody knows what Browning means. comicbooks.com