Life, 1888-12-20 · page 5 of 14
Life — December 20, 1888 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 345 from Life Magazine - Satirical Sketches This page contains several brief satirical vignettes typical of Life's humor: **"A Natural Error"** mocks the phrase "dry eye" as outdated slang, referencing Robinson Crusoe. The joke relies on period colloquialisms readers would recognize. **"Cruelty to Animals"** satirizes De Thompkyvis (likely a character name), with Paperware enthusiastically endorsing something substitutional—the exact target is unclear, but it appears to mock someone's misguided enthusiasm. **"A Social Distinction"** depicts fashionable society members, with the caption suggesting irony about why fashionable people engage in activities despite claiming not to. **Other sections** include brief exchanges between a Boston grocer and a young lady about turkey packaging, and definitions of playing-card terms as animal metaphors. The humor relies heavily on period-specific language and social references that obscure the precise targets today.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> LIFE: 345 A NATURAL ERROR. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. ED: When was Black Friday? E THOMPKYNS (who has been narrating an inci- ALFRED: Ho, ho, ho! When! You dent in his career): Oh, J’m no fool! mean who? He wasa chum of Robin- PAPERWATE: N-n-no, you're no fool, but (enthustastic- son Crusoe's. ally) what a substitute you would make! HE “dry eye" has almost entirely RISONER (0 &és dawyer): Do you think I will have disappeared as a figure of speech justice shown me? applicable to a blue-grass audience. LAWYER: I'm afraid you won't. You see I've managed The Kentucky idea of rarity is expressed to get two men on the jury who are opposed to capital by the term “dry throat.” punishment. A SOCIAL DISTINCTION. Jeannette: Loup! In Bab TASTE! YOU ARE SO PRUDISH. BUT DO JOIN US. WHY, THE PASHIONABLES ARE ALWAYS DOING IT! Dorothy: THAT MAY BE, BUT NICE PEOPLE NEVER DO IT. A MODEST YOUNG WOMAN. THUSIASTIC HUBBITE (who has been showing OSTON GROCER (to young lady): Turkeys, Miss? ; unsympathetic visitor the town): What's the matter Younc Lapy: Yes. with Boston? ., , Grocer: Dressed or not dressed? SHE: Nothing—only it’s too far from New York. Younc Lapy: Not dressed, please; but you must do up the package very carefully when you send it home. THE KING OF SPADES.—The contractor. YAWL RIGGED.—The tom-cat. comicbooks.com