Life, 1888-09-20 · page 12 of 14
Life — September 20, 1888 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 166: Humor and Social Commentary This page contains several unrelated comic sketches typical of early 20th-century American humor magazines: **"Bait Gave Out"**: A minister confronts a boy fishing on Sunday (violating religious observance). The boy's father has gone to "dig more bait"—a clever deflection suggesting the father prioritizes fishing over religious duty. **"The Trouble with Jamesie"**: Uses exaggerated Irish dialect and working-class characters (Mrs. Casey, Mrs. Grogan) discussing a troublemaking boy who has destroyed household items. The humor relies on phonetic Irish speech patterns common in period humor, often considered stereotypical today. **"An Ecstatic Moment"**: Satirizes male materialism—a newly engaged man's happiest memory isn't romantic but winning money betting on horses, disappointing his fiancée. **"On the Safe Side"**: A couple uses avoidance of effort as excuse for avoiding each other. These sketches represent typical Life magazine humor: domestic situations, working-class Irish stereotypes, and satirical commentary on human nature and social behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Stranger: THAT'S A NICE GOAT YOU HAVE THERE. CAN HE HAUL MORE THAN ONE? Boy: Ou, Yes, SIR; SOMETIMES THREE OF US RIDE IN THE CART.” Stranger: Inperp! Wuy, He's STRONG, ISN'T HE? Boy: Yes, SIR, ME'S PRETTY STRONG; BUT WE DON'T MIND THAT Now, WE'RE USED TO HIM, THE TROUBLE WITH JAMESIE, RS. CASEY: Gud marnin’, Mrs, Grogan Mrs. Grocax: Konashtanta, Mrs, Casey; arren't you well? Mrs, Casey: Faith, me heart is broke entoir'ly wid me b'ye Jamesie! Mrs. Grocax: Do you till me! Mrs. Casey: Fait’, Ido, Do yez moind thot young jude chap waz a-flyin’ round here the week gone by—the wan wid the sthrined jumper on him like a barber's pole, and a schoop in his hands—wud hold divil a dhrop of water, bein’ full av holes loike a sieve? MRS. GROGAN: Sure, well I do, Mrs. Casey, and a hat on him, the soize wouldn't cover a sphud! And do you tell me, did he hurrt Jamesie? Mrs. Cask¥: Arrah, no, by the powers! t'was me did the hurtin’, Whisper while I tell ye: The young spalpeen chalked himself out a jumper from me new balmoral I bo't last week at Macy's, and cut off the toes of Dinnis’s 1id socks for a cap—the same Oi was eight weeks in knittin', the winter gone by, bad cess to him! And I looks out the windy, I did, this mornin’, and I seen him walkin’ down the sthreet, round-shouldered wid sthyle, till I got at him, And you axes me, Mrs. Grogan, wid de gall of Councilman Quinn at a warrd meetin’, do I look troubled? Bimeby you'll ax me do I smoile whin I laugh! Good-day to you, and farewill, Mrs. Grogan! ALL. H. AN ECSTATIC MOMENT. £6 G SORGE, dear,” she said, shyly—they had only been engaged a week—‘‘can you recall the happiest moment of your life?" “Yes, indeed!" responded George earnestly. “Was it—er—lately, George ?” she almost whispered. “Yes, only last week—" “Oh, George!" “When I won fifty-eight dollars for five on a place horse.” BAIT GAVE OUT. OUNTRY MINISTER: Little boy, what will your father say to your fish- ing on Sunday ? LittLe Boy: If you kin wait a minnit he'll tell you. He's jest gone to dig more bait. ‘OR the baker, the one thing kneadful is flour. ON THE SAFE SIDE. EVENIN! He: 1 WILL—ER—HAND YOU THE CHANGE As I Pass BY TO-MORKOW, NEXT MORNING. He: AM—ON—YOU ARE ON this SIDE TO-DAY ! She: Yis; 1 THOUGHT I'D BE SAVIN’ YEZ THER THROUBEL OV CROSSIN’ OVER. comicbooks.com