Life, 1888-11-22 · page 11 of 14
Life — November 22, 1888 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, Page 293: Political Satire & Social Commentary This page contains brief satirical "Reflections" and visual gags typical of *Life* magazine's humor. **"Reflections" section:** - **Joseph Chamberlain**: The Irish politician secretly getting married, hiding it from Irish constituents who might object - **Post-Express criticism**: A Rochester journal that viciously attacked President Cleveland during the campaign (depicting him with "tail," "cloven hoof," "horns"—demonic imagery), yet the *Sun* newspaper ironically praised it for expressing what *Sun* wouldn't say directly **Visual cartoon "Variety the Spice of Life"**: A domestic scene where a husband absently bought a chattering parrot "for a change"—mild marital humor. **"Great Discovery"**: Mr. Wiggins excited that a newspaper published exclusive news *not* already in yesterday's paper—mocking newspapers' obsession with claiming exclusive stories. **Wordplay definitions** at bottom are puns (mail-bag/capture of husband, scab-bard/musician, pig-iron king/Carnegie). The page exemplifies *Life*'s blend of political critique, social observation, and light domestic comedy aimed at educated readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: 293 REFLECTIONS. HE Hon. Joseph Chamberlain read himself when he begged the Cunard people not to put his name on their list, because he was going to get married and didn't want the Irish to know it. Let us hope that his Honor is taking a sound Home Ruler home with him, and that America’s loss may be a real gain for Ireland. . . . HE dudes say they must have embroidered trousers. Why don’t they tattoo their legs and go in kilts ? Embroidered trousers! Oh, my! What's the good of dudes ? . . . HAT'S the matter with the Post Express ? “ Post-Express!" the gentle reader exclaims. What's the Post-Express! Who and where is the Post- Express?" The Post-Express, fair sir, is a journal out in Rochester, whose personal assaults on President Cleveland during the campaign were characterized by such a notable degree of vituperative ability as to have lately earned for it a free ad- vertisement in Puck. A fortnight ago when that colored contemporary portrayed a dray-load of political properties that never will be missed now the fuss is over, the Post- Express was on top the heap. Not for a moment during the campaign did the Post-Ex- press fail to discern Mr. Cleveland's tail with a barbed end, his cloven hoof and his horns. It did the venemous, but VARIETY THE SPICE OF LIFE. * well disciplined Sun, the good service of saying all that the Sun felt but hesitated to express; in recognition of which THAT CHATTERING PARROT FOR? the Sun has quoted it, praised it, and otherwise advertised Husband (absently): OW! FOR A CHANGE I SUPPOSE. it for four months past with grateful persistency. Wife: Now, JouN SMITH, WHAT ON EARTH DID you BUY P - A GREAT DISCOVERY. wee 6 LJ OORAY! Eureka,” shriek- ne ed Wiggins, as he rose & from his chair and brandished his Sunday newspaper in the air. “ What's the matter now?" asked Mrs. W., nervously. “Why, I've found an editorial regarding a piece of news which was not ‘exclusively published in our issue of yesterday!’ Where's Kane? — Where's Livingston ? — Where’s Prejevalsky ?" MAIL-BAG—The capture of a husband. SCAB-BARD — The stroll- ing musician. A Pic-IRON Kinc—Carnegie. comicbooks.com