Life, 1889-01-31 · page 3 of 18
Life — January 31, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Life" Magazine Page 59 Analysis This page contains three separate satirical pieces from an early 20th-century American humor magazine: 1. **"In Chicago"** (top): A cartoon mocking a reunion between old friends, where one congratulates the other on his wife obtaining a divorce from "the gentleman who should be congratulated for this." The satire targets Chicago's reputation for easy divorces and suggests the divorced husband deserves congratulation rather than sympathy. 2. **"Length and Breadth"**: A brief dialogue satirizing pretentious intellectuals—a man's views on social reform are extensively quoted, yet he claims he "wasn't aware of saying very much," leading a woman to clarify she meant the *length* of his speech, not its substance. 3. **"It Had Been the Rounds"** and other short jokes: Quick quips about a woman's new ring, a glass eye's utility, and marital stubbornness. The page exemplifies *Life* magazine's focus on domestic humor and social satire targeting middle-class conventions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IN CHICAGO. Mr. A, (to young friend whom he has not seen for two years): EH—HOW'S THIS, ToM? CONGRATULATIONS, OLD Boy! Tom (reddening): H’m! WELL, THE—ER—FACT IS IT’S ABOUT THREE MONTHS NOW SINCE MY WIFE GOT A DIVORCE FROM THE GENTLEMAN WHO SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED FOR ¢his, LENGTH AND BREADTH. E: My views on Social Reform are quoted in full. SHE: Wasn't it a very long speech you made? HE: Why, no; I wasn’t aware of saying very much, SHE: N-no, you didn’t say very much. I was referring to the length of the speech. IT HAD BEEN THE ROUNDS. ISS CLARA} Is that a new ring you have on, Ethel? It strikes me I have’seen it before. Miss ETHEL (b/ushing): Yes, Clara; young Mr. Paperwate presented it to me last night. I have accepted him. Miss CLARA: Oh, indeed! I’m so glad. Accept my best wishes. I thought that ring looked strangely familiar. GLASS EYE has one compensation—everybody else can see through the device, if the wearer can’t. MAN convinced (by his wife) against his ‘will, is of the same “HOT SCOTCH.” opinion still—mighty still. comicbooks.com