Life, 1889-06-20 · page 12 of 18
Life — June 20, 1889 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire Analysis This page contains multiple satirical pieces targeting social hypocrisy and fraud of the era: **"An Unanswered Prayer"** mocks a rural deacon (Deacon Moberly, rendered in dialect) who prays for darkness to enable sinful behavior—apparently theft or assault—while claiming piety. The joke is the contradiction between his religious pretense and actual intentions. **The Christian Scientist section** attacks the emerging Christian Science movement, accusing practitioners of fraud. The satire suggests they exploit credulous people's trust by using pseudo-scientific language ("scientific skin") to con money from believers, comparing it to pickpocketing. **"How the Cane Showed"** appears to satirize a young man (Cholly) who gifted a phonograph to an ardent prohibitionist woman (Amelia), apparently containing inappropriate content she disapproved of—the "cane" likely refers to risqué behavior revealed by the gift. The common thread: exposing gaps between public morality and private behavior, and charlatanism dressed in respectable clothing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
364 WHERE TO GO THIS SUMMER. Hil, RL I w London, Conn. McGre onists to Delaware W, Soldiers to Garri Hudson, » The homeless to Shelter Istand, N.Y The wicked to Red Sulphur Springs, Va. uN Skil, N.Y, sto Jefferson, No H. aker Hill, N.Y. Hundred" to Highgate Spr Thousand Islands. The ch and every McAl would be sterite could have the exclusive EFORE offering yourself to the plump- looking tobog girl you met last win ps it we on the bed AN UNANSWERED PRAYER. Deacon Mokeby: V 'CLAR TER GOODNESS, EF I AIN'T TEMPTED TER stipe, Here I'se praveo FO" FOUR NIGHTS, RIGHT ERLONG, FER DIS TER KE ER DARK NIGHT, AN’ OAKS DAT MOON COMIN’ UP AS RIG AS LIFE” Wuex Youxse Dorxtox DEFERENCE TO AMELIA’S WISHES, WAS A GREAT PITY HE FORGOT WHO IS AN ARDENT PROHINITIONIST OUT OF PRESENTED HER WITH A PHONOGRAPH, UF TO KEMOVE A CERTAIN CYLINDER, in speaking of themselves, abbreviate the title to y could be no worse misnomer. tices of these cient here certa Scientists” are as far removed from anything ases they are from anything that’s Christian of people with a view to tapping in the same sense that we speak of The p that’s scie! as in most or honest. their por a “scientitic skin. ying on the credul et-bor is only scientiti Cholly : How THE CANE SHOWED. THE CAN! Be SURE, DEAH ROY, AND MAKE show, comicbooks.com