Life, 1889-08-15 · page 3 of 16
Life — August 15, 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XIV, Number 346) This page contains three separate humorous pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine: **"A Matter of Acoustics"**: A domestic joke about a wife (Sally) selectively hearing her husband's calls—she hears him calling for dinner "across the street" but ignores bedtime summons "in the corner." The humor relies on the stereotype of wives feigning deafness to inconvenient requests. **"Questioning"**: A sentimental poem about courtship, with romantic imagery of lips and gentle persuasion. **"An Effective Threat" and "The Miseries of Poverty"**: Humorous dialogues depicting class differences—a wealthy New Yorker and "Dirty Tramp" discussing money, and a doctor (Dr. Bluff) and poor patient (Jack) discussing urban poverty and housing costs. The cartoons employ period-typical social satire about gender dynamics, class relations, and urban life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
\ QUESTIONING. A MATTER OF ACOUSTICS. MOUTH, as sweet as any morn in May! ‘WHERE WERE YOU, SALLY, WHEN YOU HEARD ME CALL YOU FOR O lips, as rosy as the sunlight glow ! DINNER?” If I should speak the words which struggle so, “ACROSS THE STREET.” What answer would you give to me to-day? “AND WHERE WERE YOU WHEN YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME CALL YOU TO Would that white breast as softly heave, I pray, GO TO BED?” The gentle breath as calmly come and go . “IN THE CORNER.” When I had spoken? Surely, you must know = = = Already everything I have to say ! Yet, maybe, telling it, I might obtain From your sweet influence some grace of speech To make my words not altogether vain : Some gentle phrase I learned from you might reach Your tender heart ; and softly entering, make Dear Love, who lies half-sleeping there, awake. _ C. B. Going. AN EFFECTIVE THREAT. EW YORKER: No, sir, I have no money for you. Dirty Tramp: Well, I don’t see nothing fer me ter do but drown myself, New YORKER: I can’t help that. Dirty TRAMP: Allright. Where's the reservoir? NeW YORKER: Here! Take this dollar and live. THE MISERIES OF POVERTY. R. BLUFF: You stick too ¢losely to your desk, Mr. Borrowit. 1 recommend you to buy a pair of, Indian clubs. Poor JACK: But I live in the city, Doctor. It You see THE EVENING WAS VERY WARM AND THEY Must nave Would take all my salary to rent a room big enough LEANED THEIR HEADS AGAINST THE WALL-PAPER, to swing them in! comicbooks.com