Life, 1889-04-04 · page 3 of 20
Life — April 4, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XIII, Number 327) This page contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Behind the Times"** (top): A domestic scene where a child reports their mother is "engaged," prompting an adult's surprised response. The seven-year-old clarifies the mother was actually engaged "long ago" before the child's birth—satirizing outdated social conventions and the gap between modern expectations and reality. **"Ye Retorte Exasperating"** (bottom): A flirtation poem attributed to Tom Hall, featuring dialogue between a "sweete maide" and a youth. The accompanying illustration shows a woman with a toy donkey, captioned "Well, you ARE a donkey, and no mistake"—a pun-based visual joke mocking failed romantic banter and the foolishness of courtship rhetoric. Both pieces use humor to critique social pretenses of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
tion < of -omn- 110n- own Jing. into car: ured VING. BEHIND THE TIMES. “WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR MOTHER, IF SHE IS NOT ENGAGED.” Seven-year-old: ENGAGED! GOODNESS, SHE WAS ENGAGED LONG AGO AND GOT MARRIED BEFORE I WAS BORN. YE RETORTE EXASPERATING. °¢ GWEETE maide,” ye lovesicke youthe remarked, “Thou'rt fickle as my star; By far ye worste I ever sparked— You are, you really are. “Albeit yt my brains are nil, I'm gallante as can be; I'lle be toe you what e’er you wille If you'lle be more toe me.” “Fair youthe,” ye maide replied, ‘I doe Not barter, as a tule; But I'lle be sistere untoe you— Be you my April foole!” Tom Hall, ““WELL, YOU ave A DONKEY, AND NO MISTAKE.” comicbooks.com