Life, 1889-07-18 · page 12 of 16
Life — July 18, 1889 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 40 of Life Magazine: Three Satirical Pieces **"A Sufficient Reason"** (top right): Two Irish-American women discuss a man named Dennis who's sworn off drinking for a year because a judge sentenced him to twelve months in Blackwell's Island (a penitentiary). The humor relies on Irish dialect humor and the implicit threat of incarceration as the only effective deterrent to alcoholism—satirizing both drinking culture and the judicial system's harshness. **"Pater et Filius"** (middle): A father confronts his dissolute son about a cruel note pinned to his coat by drinking companions. The son's exaggerated affectation (dropping g's, mispronouncing words, monocle) satirizes upper-class pretension. The father reads a mocking verse about the boy being brainless and drunk—the satire targets both drunken excess and affected upper-class mannerisms. **"The Miser" (bottom): An elderly miser offers street boys nickels to skip supper, then the next morning demands payment for breakfast—exploiting their hunger and poverty. This satirizes greed and the cruel exploitation of poor children.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Fiqgendy, Blactter. A SUFFICIENT REASON. Mfr, O'Garrigle: Vis, DINNIS MADE UP HIS MOIND THIS VERY MORRNIN’ THAT HE'D NOT GO ON ANOTHER DHRUNK FOR A YEAR. Afrs, Hooleymac: PRAISED BE TO GOODNESS FOR THAT SAME. "HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? Mr, O'Garri¢le: WELL, YEZ SEE THE JUDGE SINT HAC UP TO BLACKWILL's OILAND FOR TWILVE MONTHS. PATER ET FILIUS. ERISOPHT, SR.: It pains me to know I have a son who is treated with derision by his comrades. I—aw! beg pawdon, Paw; but tand yaw. VERISOPHT, SR.: I presume not. I can well believe a man who murders English as you do cannot understand it when it is spoken properly; but perhaps you may compre- hend the meaning of this paper I found pinned to your coat when your roystering companions placed you on the front steps this morning. VERISOPHT, JR.: Aw! indeed! Aw! will yaw please— aw! wead it taw meh? I—aw! left maw monocle awp sta-aws, yaw knaw, VERISOPHT, SR.: Here lies a thing without a brain, A form to hang some clothes on ; Its head well soaked, but not with rain, So gently turn the hose on. e¢ OW boys,” asked the miser, as twelve pair of eyes gazed hungrily at the steak over which he invit- ingly held the knife and fork, “ How many of you will take a nickel and go to bed without any supper?” With visions of tops, marbles and similar attractions, there was a ready chorus of “I's,” but alas for their bright-hued dreams! In the morning, refreshed by sleep, their appetites whetted to a ravenous degree, the old man asked: “And now, who will give Sve cence for his break‘ast ?”