Life, 1889-09-19 · page 11 of 18
Life — September 19, 1889 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 165: Satirical Humor The top illustration, "A Defect in Physiognomy," mocks the pseudoscience of reading character from facial features. It shows a society gathering where Mrs. Primus finds Mr. Brastleigh's "far-away look" fascinating despite his unflattering appearance, while Mrs. Secundus notes his nose and mouth seem "too near at hand"—a joke about physiognomy's supposed ability to judge character by facial proportions. Below are four brief comedic dialogues satirizing everyday life: a man's dog eats money; a club keeps accounts in pounds/shillings (mocking British monetary systems); a domestic dispute over a eaten bill; and awkward dinner etiquette with a tramp. These represent typical Life magazine humor—sharp observations of social absurdities and class conflicts in early 20th-century America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A DEFECT IN PHYSIOGNOMY. Mrs, Primus: THAT PAR-AWAY LOOK IN MR. BRANTLEIGH'S EYES 1S VERY FASCINATING, MRS, SECUNDUS, AND YET HIS FACE 1S DISAPPOINTING, Mrs, Secundus: YES, MRS. PRIMUS, HIS NOSE AND MOUTII APPEAR TOO NEAR AT HAND FOR THE FAR-AWAY LOOK IN HIS EVES. HE OUGHT TO WEAR STRONG GLASSES. IN EXTREMIS. FLY lay bleeding and wet with gore, Crushed on the bald man's head, But in dying he sprung this ghastly joke, “I'm mashed on you,” he said, WAS HE LEGAL TENDER? VERISHORT: What are you crying for Maria? Mrs. VERISHORT: That—that—miserable dog of yours has eaten up the last two-dollar bill that we had in the M*. house. 1 dropped it, and he snatched it. Mr. VERISHORT: H’m! We can’t eat the dog, and a walking Safe Deposit company can't be tolerated. Let's send him to the Treasury Department for redemption. MERICANUS SUM: I say, Dudekin, why does your club keep its accounts in pounds, shillings and pence ? It's absurd in New York. REGINALD DUDEKIN: Deah boy, it makes our fellaws who cawn’t get away to Lun’nun feel so much at home. A FOREGONE CONCLUSION. ANVASSER: I have here a work— MASTER OF THE HOUSE: I can’t read. CANVASSER: But your children —— MASTER OF THE House: I* have no children (¢r7- unphantly.) Nothing but a cat. CANVASSER: Well, you want something to throw at the cat, (He took it.) _ VW ARER: Say, Meeks, how did you ever pluck up courage enough to propose to your wife ? MEEKS (whose wife wears the trousers): Why, 1 didn’t. BAseer (to bald-headed patron): Shave, sit? BALD-HEAD: No, you idiot; hair cut pompadour. ADY OF THE HOUSE (0 tramp): You eat as if you never had seen a meal of victuals before ! TRaMP: Madam you must excuse me. I s‘pose I do eat awkward, but the fact is I haint had much practice lately. Comichooxs.con