Life, 1888-07-26 · page 5 of 14
Life — July 26, 1888 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 47 This page contains two satirical sketches about New England life and attitudes. **"A Grovelling Soul"** (top illustration) depicts a woman at a seaside resort expressing wonder at the ocean's grandeur, while a man dismissively replies he doesn't mind being "hollow" if only he could feel full again—satirizing masculine emotional emptiness and materialism masquerading as pragmatism. **"Life in New England"** (bottom) presents a comedic dialogue between a New York visitor and a taciturn old man. The humor derives from the visitor's increasingly desperate attempts to engage the old man in conversation about supplies and services—all met with minimalist, evasive responses ("Wa'al, I guess so"). This mockingly stereotypes New England Yankees as famously laconic, unwelcoming, and commercially reluctant—a common comedic trope of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A GROVELLING SOUL. URABLY GRAND THE OCEAN IS! Y AND HOLLOW, She: How imMe, LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND. SCENE —Village street in front of closely shuttered house, Old and fpalsied man working in garden. EW YORK VISITOR (é# search of material for duncheon) : \s there a store in this village ? OLD Man: I guess there be. VistToR: Where is it? OLD MAN: I guess it’s here. VisiTOR: Who keeps it? OLD Man: Wai‘al, I guess / do. VISITOR (eagerly): What do you keep? OLD Man: Wa’al, most anything. VISITOR (weth interest): Got any cheese? OLD MAN: Wa‘al, I guess not. VISITOR: Got any crackers? OLD MAN: Lord, no! VistTOR: Do you keep any canned goods? OLD Man: I guess not. VISITOR (disappointed): Oh — (after a pause), Do you sell meat ? 5 (twho ts feeling gueer and has heard imperfectly): 1 poN't MIND BEL IT ALWAYS LIFTS ME ABOVE MYSELF AND MAKES OUK OWN LITTLE LIVES AND. G HOLLOW IF T ONLY DARED FILL UP A OLD Man: Wai‘al, I reckon to occasionally. VISITOR (in fone of renewed hope): Got any to-day ? OLD MAN: Wa‘al, I do have pork once in a while—hed it yesterday, but it’s out. VisiToR: Oh! —. Got any bread? OLD Man: Wa‘al, I do reckon upon having bread most weeks, but it’s out. VISITOR ( peering through the shutters): Haven't you anything we could relish for lunch ? OLD MAN (scratching his beard): WWa’al, 1 guess so— what d’you want? VistToR: Got any eggs? OLD MAN: Wai‘al, no. VISITOR (desperate): Any butter? OLD Man: Hed some yesterday. VisiITOR: Got ary berries? OLD Man: Lord! no, ma‘am. . VisiTor: Well, I guess I'd better go home. Business keeps you pretty busy, I suppose ? OLD MAN: Wai‘al, this is a busy time; but, you see, my folks mostly orders, and I brings their things jest so—d’ye