Life, 1888-08-23 · page 12 of 14
Life — August 23, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 110: Historical Satire Analysis This page contains multiple brief satirical sketches typical of early Life magazine's humor format. **"The Accursed Damosel"** plays on the old nursery rhyme "Where Are You Going to My Pretty Maid?" by subverting expectations—the maid's dark mention of buying a coffin (framed as a "joke") frightens the suitor into fleeing. **"A Wife's Fears"** satirizes a country newspaper editor who's been physically beaten by an angry subscriber. The joke's point: the wife's only concern is whether the subscriber canceled his subscription—financial loss matters more than her husband's safety, reflecting newspaper economics of the era. **"The Dangers of the Chase"** shows a fox hunter separated from his party, stammering in fear while claiming he only came looking for blackberries—mocking hunters' pretended innocence when caught trespassing. The remaining sketches are brief joke exchanges satirizing domestic life, class dynamics (a conductor too busy working for church), and collection agencies' futility. The "Wanted" section parodies job postings with absurdist requirements for genius and rhetorical talent.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
110 THE ACCURSED DAMOSEL. &§ HERE are you going, my pretty maid?” ‘To buy a coffin, sir,” she said. ‘May I go with you, my pretty maid ?" “Yes, if you'll help me, sir,” she said, ‘* Help you at what, my pretty maid? Tell me about it ; don’t be afraid.” “It’s only a joke,” she softly said ; He fied. Nero O' Flynn. “I'm going a-berrying, sir!" A WIFE'S FEARS. IFE (fo country editor): Aren't you feeling well to-night, John? Country Epitor: Not very, my dear. An indignant subscriber came into the office this afternoon and mopped up the floor with me. WIFE (anxiously): Heavens, John, I hope he didn’t stop his paper, too! x SA NICKEL IN THE SLOTE ENTERPRISE. THE DANGERS OF THE CHASE, Bold American Fox Hunter (who has been left behind): G Foxey; 1 ONLY C-C-GAME TO LOOK FOR B-B-B-BLACKBERRI -G-GO AWAY, PRETTY ‘OU KNOW, WANTED. A SPARK of the fire of genius that kindles enthusiasm. FEATHERS from the wings of the imagination. SPOKES from the wheel of fortune. A prop of the distilled ottar of the flowers of rhetoric. A CHEESE made out of the milky whey. A BUCKET of pure water from the wells of despair. CEMENT for split sides after reading the above jokes. HV. S. IN PIOUS BOSTON. LD MRS. LITANY (anxiously, stopping car): Do you go to Trinity Church, Conductor ? Conpuctor: Sorry; I don’t get no time for church, lady. ON THE ETRURIA. ITZGAGGY (én agony): Steward! I say Steward! STEWARD (from below): Comin’ hup direckly, sir. FitzGaccy : So—so’s my dinner! OH, Lord! THAT SETTLED IT. OLLECTOR (0 his tenth visit): Look a-here; how many more times do you want me to call with this little account ? BILL OveRDUE: Why, man, I don’t care if you never call again. comicbooks.com