Life, 1889-04-11 · page 3 of 20
Life — April 11, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XIII, Number 328) This page contains three distinct items: 1. **"A Wagnerian Anecdote"**: A humorous story about composer Wagner meeting Beethoven in 1820. Wagner played Beethoven's Seventh Symphony allegro, and when Beethoven criticized his interpretation, Wagner responded by insulting Beethoven's famous composition "Parsifal"—a joke on the rivalry between these composers. 2. **Poetry about a Woman's Foot**: Romantic verse celebrating a woman's shoe and ankle, reflecting Victorian-era genteel fascination with women's fashion and modest physicality. 3. **Right Illustration & Caption**: Shows what appears to be a domestic dispute or servant-employer conflict, with dialect dialogue about a dachshund ("Schwartzuhund"). The humor involves class dynamics and mangled German-English speech patterns typical of period satire. The page reflects turn-of-century American satirical interests: European cultural figures, sentimental romanticism, and ethnic/class humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
INES. VOLUME XIII. k FE . NUMBER 328. A WAGNERIAN ANECDOTE. HEN Wagner met Beethoven at Vienna, in 1820, the latter played the ad/egretto {rom his Seventh Symphony. When he had made an end of playing, Wag- ner, who was jealous of the deaf composer's reputation, said in very fair German, “I can’t say much for your taste.” “What do you think of my touch?” said the Maestro, in the same language, simultaneously giving the composer of “ Parsifal” an under cut with his right. Wagner, who greatly admired repartee, made no further un- kind remarks, but arose and departed, sadly, but not slowly. Charles Battell Loomis. - ———: + BISMARCK is reported to have said that_V"rire and Ward McAllister have done more than any other two men toward the advancement of human thought. F, as we are told, the devil trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his sneeze, Beelzebub must be hav- ing an awful time of it just now. T was by chance that I happened to call And catch Mistress Peg unawares in the hall ; Where, scolding and pouting, as pretty maids do, She was just pulling on a refractory shoe. And, ob, how the lace fluttered back to disclose The highest of heels, the most pointed of toes, With a smart silken stocking, snug-fitting and trim, Round the ravishing ankle, seductively slim ! “* From extreme to extreme,” says the sage, and the view Of her exquisite foot in its gay little shoe, The spark of my passion to flaming so fanned That I went the next morning and asked for her hand. AL EL W. CONSIDERATE. dlos.ciu * Wey! SCHWARTZHUND, VERE YOU GO AWAY SO GVICK ALRETTY BEFORE DOT SUBBER? Schwartshund: SCUNELGELT, DE VATCHMAKER, YUST CUM UP SDAIRS MIT HIS BANTS BUST IN HALLEF, I SELL 'EM TO HIM YES- DERDAY, A BARGAIN. MAY BE HE FEEL BAD UND DON'T VANT TO SEE ME ALRETTY, AINT IT? comicbooks.com