Life, 1888-07-26 · page 7 of 14
Life — July 26, 1888 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 49 Analysis: Life Magazine Satire This page contains several humor pieces typical of early Life magazine's satirical style: **"An Observant Youth"** mocks a boy's logical response to his cousin's suggestion he become a park policeman—he notes policemen don't have nurses, so he'd rather be a park instead. **"The Reason Why"** appears to reference contemporary political figures or social types (Cashly and "Miss Daciless") in a brief joke about social advancement. **"Modesty of the Period"** shows two cartoon vignettes depicting women's beach behavior and dress—satirizing Victorian-era social conventions around female modesty and public appearance. The verses and anecdotes below offer additional period humor about romance, military matters, and small-town Americana, reflecting Life's blend of social commentary and lighthearted entertainment typical of the early 20th century.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN OBSERVANT YOUTH. RETTY COUSIN: And what are you going to do, Bob, when you grow up to be a man? Bos: Oh, I mean to be a park policeman, and you shall be my * nurse, Cousin: But policemen don't have nurses, Bob. Bos: Oh, don’t they, though? That shows you've never been in the park, THE REASON WHY. OW doestthat‘idiot Cashly succeed so well with that jolly Miss Dustless? “Oh, with her he is doubtless on his metal.” Fe NEASY lies the head that wears a crown.” Since Shakespeare wrote this, kings have taken to wearing top hats, and recent politics indicate that they can now lie easily enough. MODESTY OF THE PERIOD, Boarder : 1 SEE PLENTY OF SNAKES HERE. Farmer : UM, NO MOR'N VER SEE ANYWHERE, SIR. L USED TER SEE EM MESELF, ONCT. IN-“ TENSE” VERSES. IL. AST summer Agnes, gentle girl, was empress of my heart, And life seemed very empty when time came for us to part ; But now to Ethel’s tyranny I live a willing thrall, Miss M.: VcASNoT see MR. Brows And Agnes is ‘a girl I met"—and nothing else at all. Now, MAR NOT DRESSED. TELL nt Him 1] WILL MEET HIM ON THE Beach, Alack ! the tenses of the verbs, they always bothered me: What Agnes was now Ethel is, but Ethel, too, may be What Agnes now has come to be, though this is sure I wis ‘That Agnes ne'er can come to be what darling Ethel is. THE SMELL OF SMOKE. WRITER of war articles was in the Century office when the fire broke out. “Great heavens!" he shouted, “I think I smell smoke,” and he never stopped running until a policeman collared him on the other side of Madison Square. I* a small Dakota town the following sign is displayed : “Heads sewed up while you wait.” ON THE Beach, comicbooks.com