Life — October 25, 1888 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AFTER THE GAME WAS OVER. Stranger: Wett, Boys, AND HOW DID THE GAME C Boys: We vost! Stranger: WHAT MAVE YOU GOT IN THAT BUNDLE? Boys: Tue Umpire. THE LOTTERY OF LOVE. HE mother-in-law is a chestnut. Domestically, from the paragrapher's point of view, and dramatically, she is a chestnut. There may be a few misguided infants who regard their grandmothers with respect—aye, even with affection. All the rest of the world unites in believing that when a woman is unfortunate enough to have a son or daughter marry, she must regard that particular offspring as thence- forth dead to her, or take the chances of being considered a mother-in-law, with all that the name implies. Just or unjust, kind or unkind, humane or inhuman, as the verdict may be, the marriage of one of her children means that a woman becomes a mother-in-law. Both M. Bisson, the French author of “Les Surprises du Divorce,” and Mr. Augustin Daly, who has adapted »M. Bisson’s comedy to the uses of his own company, seem! to take this view of the case. They even emphasize the fact by making the same off- spring enable a woman, through the easy process of divorce, to become two mothers-in-law at once; that is to say, the mother-in-law of two separate, distinct and equally unfortu- nate men. The play demonstrates, that while in divorce the law pro- vides a legal means of separation from a wife, there is no EXTENUATING CIRCUM- STANCES. IFE: I was so annoyed, my dear, to-day, to find one of my pictures displayed in a photo- . grapher's show-window. HUSBAND: Why didn’t you go upstairs and tell him to take it out? WiFE: I declare I didn’t think of that—and, besides, the picture is a very good one! A WRONG CONCLUSION. URTON: Paperwate must be getting up inthe world. Did you notice how politely his tailor bowed to him ? BOLTON: Humph! The poor fellow knows he's got to be civil, if he ever expects to collect a cent. GO TO-DAY? known legal way of becoming separated from a mother-in- law, if she wills it otherwise. The will, spirit and ingenuity of the mother-in-law rise superior even to the law. So trite a subject is a dangerous one for a dramatist, but by skillful handling, Messrs. Bisson and Daly have made it the motive of a most amusing farce-comedy. Nevertheless, it may well be doubted whether the piece would achieve great popularity in America were it presented by any other than Mr. Daly's thoroughly trained company. “Les Surprises du Divorce,” on which Mr. Daly's play, “The Lottery of Love,” is founded, has met with great success in Paris, but it is largely due to the novelty of the divorce idea to the French mind—divorce and the possible comedy ‘situations to be drawn from it having only been accessible to French dramatists for a short time. “The Lottery of Love,” in its present hands, is amusing and laughable to a high degree, and may safely be numbered among what are known as the “Daly successes.” With a less able company I fear it would be short-lived. Metcalfe. SHE WAS ALL RIGHT. HAT Mrs, Ostentatious is outside, sir,” said the clerk, entering the private office. ‘She wants to open an account with us.” “Umph!” returned the tailor, beginning to meditate. “Do you know anything about her, Griggs?” “No, sir; but she says she is prominent in social circles.” “ How often did she return that last dress to be altered?” “ Fifteen times, sir.” “That's all right, Griggs. Credit her with all she needs.” SPIRITS probably walk about for exorcise. comicbooks.com