Life, 1889-02-07 · page 12 of 16
Life — February 7, 1889 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Power of a Smile" - Life Magazine Satire **Left panel ("The Power of Music"):** A melodramatic narrative illustrated shows a hardened convict returning to his village bent on revenge—specifically planning to burn down the schoolhouse. When he hears a church bell toll, he's moved to tears and abandons his violent plans, exclaiming his heart is softened. The satire mocks overly sentimental Victorian storytelling tropes about redemption through emotion. **Right panel ("The Power of a Smile"):** A series of vignettes showing a child's smile having transformative effects on various adults and animals—all responding with joy or compliance to the child's grin. This contrasts with the left panel's "power of music," suggesting innocent childhood charm works better than grand emotional narratives. **"Answers to Correspondents" section:** Satirical responses to reader queries using partially obscured names (likely recognizable contemporaries). The magazine mocks various public figures with thinly veiled barbs about financial deals, political ambitions, and social pretensions—typical of *Life*'s irreverent commentary on American public life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE POWER OF MUSIC. THE SUN HAD ALREADY SUNK IN THE WEST WHEN THE CON- VICT RETURNED TO HIS NATIVE VILLAGE, DURING THE MANY YEARS OF HIS CONFINEMENT, HE HAD HARBORED BUT ONE IDEA— THAT OF REVEN AS HE NEARED THE OLD ScHOOL-HoUSE (WHICH, BY THE WAY, HE HAD MADE UP HIS MIND TO FIRE) A BELL FROM A DISTANT SPIRE BEGAN ITS SLOW AND SOLEMN PEAL. A FEELING WHICH THE CONVICT HAD NOT FELT IN MANY YEARS FILLED HIS BREAST, He STOOD ROOTED TO THE SPOT, AND TEARS, MOT TEARS, MOIST! MIS CHEEKS. WHEN THE BELL HAD ‘D ITS TOLLING, HE HASTILY WIPED IIS EYES WITH THE BACK OF HIS CALLOUSED MAND, AND EXCLAIMED: “MY HEART 18 SOFTENED; I TI WILL ROM INSTEAD!" ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS, 2, Augusta, Me.—We are sorry we cannot indorse your application, Buy a portfolio at some book-store. J—N W-n-M-K-R, Philadelphia.—Yes, we think $100,000 was a good deal to blow in on an uncertainty; but, cheer up, there is still hope. Anyhow, comfort yourself with the thought how many more c-ll-rs and c-ffs you will sell, J—N Su—s-x, Washington, D. C.—Your subscription received. We feel confident that you will find, as a politician, that Lire is exactly what you want. B-s H-rk-s-N, Indianapolis.—t. We cannot give you the de- sired information. Consult the nearest furniture-maker. 2. A swallow-tail coat and a white necktie. 3. No, we do not think a Highland fling would be appropriate to the occasion. J—s L. S-tt—N, Boston.—Try Apollinaris. A wet towel is good, too. J-c-8 K-LR—N and Cu—L-s M-TcH-LL.—You are right. We think a sharp line should be drawn between the product of the bud- ding rose-bush and that of the buoyant hen asa tribute from the gallery to the stage. Mrs. J. B, P-T1-R, N. ¥.—Yes, we think the newspapers have been guilty of needless asp-erity in their criticisms, Richards, ss M4Ass inhumanity to man" gives the police force employment. THE POWER OF A SMILE.