Life, 1889-08-01 · page 7 of 16
Life — August 1, 1889 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 63 Analysis: Life Magazine Satire This page contains three separate satirical pieces: 1. **"Professional Instinct Conquers Rage"**: A dialogue between a "tough-looking party" and a "production club" editor, satirizing how professional decorum prevents even angry confrontations from becoming physical—a commentary on workplace civility masking tension. 2. **"Even Wall Street Cannot Defy Natural Laws"**: A brief quip about financial "shorts" being metaphorically "squeezed," playing on stock market terminology with physical humor. 3. **"At a Summer Retreat"**: A dialogue featuring "St. Peter," "Mortal," and "Jay" (a bird), with illustrations of someone sleeping and a dog. The humor involves mistaken identity and the jay's earthy response, suggesting class or spiritual commentary through animal characters. The overall tone is light domestic and social satire typical of early 20th-century Life magazine humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: respect is utterly incapable of telling a lie, betraying confidence, fail- ing a friend or hitting a foul blow in any direction—utterly incapable, too, of truckling to power or calling evil good because practised in high places. For his own inherent dignity he could not do such and such things. He could not barter his sense of right for money, fame, position, place. He could not prevaricate, nor gloze, nor bow the knee to Baal, even with a dispensation, For self-respect knows of no dispensation—wherein it differs from all other religions. __ Droch. PROFESSIONAL INSTINCT CONQUERS RAGE. OUGH-LOOKING PARTY (entering sanctum): Soy, be you der duck dat pokes so much fun at der prize- fighters? Epitor (producing club): 1am. TOUGH-LOOKING PARTY (retreating): Oh, let up on dat, cully! Yer couldn't raise der stakes I fight for on all de stuff in dis sheban; VEN Wall Street cannot defy natural laws. When the ~ “short” is “squeezed” he is shorter—very much so. TR following contradictory inscription is on the door of one of our public offices: “ Positively no admittance. Please close the door.” AT A SUMMER RETREAT. First Floor Boarder (dozing): DEAR ME, WHAT A DREADFUL COUGH MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR Has! IT WAS JAY. 4 S™ PETER: I do not recognize you. What is that bundle under your arm? MorTAL: Only the earth, I—— St. PETER: Walk right in, Mr. Gould! £ = PREFERRED STOCK—Thoroughbreds, A LonG-TaILED CoAT—The yellow-jacket. e Mrs. L.: RUFUS, HAVE THE CHILDREN COME UP YET? Rufus (who is having a hard time): No, BUT THEY ARE THE ONLY THINGS OF MINE THAT HAVEN'T. IN THE DOG comicbooks.com