Life, 1888-11-15 · page 9 of 16
Life — November 15, 1888 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 275 This page contains three separate humorous sketches satirizing early 20th-century social life: 1. **Top cartoon**: A woman arriving in an elaborate buggy, criticized for being "particular" and pretentious—the joke being her excessive airs don't match the modest venue. 2. **"The Main Attraction"**: A brief dialogue where Giles mentions dropping in on a woman (named perhaps by implication) frequently. The satire targets male social calling customs and women as objects of romantic pursuit. 3. **"Safe Travel"**: Fakir and Footlights debate train safety—poking fun at Victorian anxieties about new railway technology, with the absurdist punchline that walking is "safer." 4. **Bottom sketch**: A domestic scene mocking a child's theological naiveté about God's workmanship, specifically his teeth. The humor reflects period concerns: social pretension, courtship rituals, modern transportation fears, and innocent childhood observations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
He has come for her in a buggy and she objects to the turnout, “YOU ARE VERY PARTICULAR; YOU PUT ON MORE AIRS THAN A MUSIC BOX!" ““WELL, I DON'T GO WITH A CRANK, ANYWay!” SAFE TRAVEL. NEVER take a sleeper when I travel,” said Fakir to ' Footlights, as they strolled along the Rialto. “ There's such a danger of fire from the hangings, and, in case of a crash, just think of the immense weight of the cars!” “Yes,” replied Footlights, half musingly, “1 suppose it # really zs safer to—walk!"" THE MAIN ATTRACTION. = —— ©© ©O she is the one you call on so frequently?” remarked Bjones. “ Well, I can't say I admire your taste.” “Perhaps you will,” returned Giles, “ when I tell you her father always drops in during the evening and orders a bottle of wine sent upstairs.” “cs CERTAIN little seven-year-old boy has enjoyed being in the country all summer, where he almost lived out- of-doors. On returning to his home in the city, he was sent out to play in the yard, but he soon came in to his mother saying ‘that it seemed so small outdoors that he thought he would rather come in. OBBY (standing before the glass): Did God make me, ma? MOTHER: Yes, dear. Bossy: Well, he made a poor job of these two front Mr, Williams; Now, j€8 Look’ ere, SAMMY SMIF, EF YOUSE DOAN'T QUIT CRACKEN DEM PEANUTS ON YOUSE OLE FADDER'S teeth! He'D, I'LL BRE'K YOUSE BACK WID A BOARD. comicbooks.com