Life — June 27, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page from *Life* magazine (Volume XIII, Number 339) contains two unrelated comic sketches: **Top: "Rehearsing for Charades"** A social scene showing well-dressed Victorian figures preparing parlor games. The dialogue indicates they're planning to act out "Paradise Lost," with a character named Charles confidently asserting the performers will never be guessed. This is gentle domestic satire about amateur theatricals and the pretentiousness of Victorian parlor entertainment. **Bottom: "A Contemptible Trick on a Helpless Cripple"** Two sketches showing someone playing a prank on a disabled person using a wheeled device or crutch. The satire appears to mock the cruelty of such pranks, though the exact point remains unclear without fuller context. Both reflect *Life*'s satirical approach to Victorian social customs and moral behaviors.