Life, 1888-10-18 · page 1 of 14
Life — October 18, 1888 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Reasonable Demand" This 1888 *Life* magazine cartoon depicts a domestic dispute between a man and woman. The woman demands that her brother (Mr. Harding) sew up the knees of her trousers, which she claims were damaged while fishing during their relationship investigation. The humor relies on a social contradiction: she insists she'll "always be a sister" to maintain respectful propriety, yet simultaneously demands he perform intimate domestic labor (mending torn clothing). The joke satirizes Victorian-era relationship conventions—the woman wants the benefits of close family connection while imposing servant-like duties on the man. The title "A Reasonable Demand" is ironic, suggesting the request is actually quite unreasonable given the stated boundaries.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XII. va perNicanys a Svm. , NEW YORK, OCTOBER 18, 1888. . NUMBER 303. Entered at the New Yors Post Offic. Second-Class Mail Matter. . Copyright, 1888, by Mircnant & Mittar, A REASONABLE DEMAND. She: No! MR. HARDING, IT CAN NEVER BE. BUT I WILL ALWAYS BE A SISTER—- He (rising): OM, THAT'S THE DEAL, 18 IT? WELL THEN, SISTER, IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR THIMBLE HANDY, I WISH YOU WOULD SEW UP THE KNEES OF MY TROUSERS THAT I HAVE SACRIFICED IN FINDING OUT OUR RELATIONSHIP, comicbooks.com