Life, 1889-11-21 · page 9 of 20
Life — November 21, 1889 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 289 This page contains several humor pieces and a cartoon titled "Finite" depicting a domestic scene where a woman sits at a vanity while a man enters—likely satirizing marital dynamics or infidelity. The text sections mock various social types: a "venerable sinner" who has "killed a nigger" (reflecting period racist attitudes); commentary on "high life" scandals; and observations about social behavior like lip-smacking as vulgar habits. A poem "They Knew Their Time Was Up" uses dinosaurs as metaphor for prehistoric man facing extinction—possibly commenting on outdated social customs or old-fashioned behavior becoming obsolete. Additional brief dialogues joke about poverty, wealth, and domestic life. One cartoon shows what appears to be a poorhouse keeper with children, captioning about charity. The overall tone reflects turn-of-century American satirical humor targeting social pretension, domestic life, and class differences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
289 FINITE, “BROWN 18 VERY AMBITIOUS; HE CONCENTRATES HIS MIND ON WHATEVER HE TRIES TO DO.” “WELL, SO COULD ANY ONE WITH A MIND THE SIZE OF Brown's.” A VENERABLE SINNER, ENUS: How steadily the Earth jogs along! Mars: Yes, but just look at the Moon—full as a goat! se OW is it you call Gore ‘Colonel’ now?" asked a Northern visitor in Arkansas. “He was a plain ‘ Mister’ when I was here six months ago.” “Oh, he’s killed a nigger since then.” IGH life, Freddy, is a term which has as many degrees of latitude as the earth itself. In the West and South, if two bar- keepers have a row it is called a “scandal in high life.” > MACKING the lips is a vulgar habit—unless they belong to a pretty girl. THEY KNEW THEIR TIME WAS UP. HE ichthyosaurus divedfdown deep, While the huge deinosaurus roared, The apteryx hopped, the archzeopteryx flopped, And the onomodont owned himself *' floored.” The pterodactylus winked one eye, And the megalotherium ran, The cave-bear growled, the mastodon howled, When they saw prehistoric man. OUNG WIFE: A horrid rat ate one of those lovely canaries my husband gave me, and that’s why I got a cat. MATRON: Well? YOUNG WiFE: And then the cat ate the other. *6 DOOR?” said Jones, to a young man who was complaining of his lack of worldly goods, “Of course. But think of the great men who have come to the city worth fifty cents and died worth answered the wise young man, “but I would rather come to the city worth millions and die worth fifty cents!” REGRET AND THANKSGIVING. Wits the appearance of Jack Frost the summer swain has an icy feeling about the heart and takes a seat so very far back that the strongest telescope fails to bring him into prominence. That he can play a fine game of tennis is of no use to him now. She has turned her back upon poetry and golden rod, buckboards and canoes, and is absorbed in other matters, and she realizes now the folly of trying to live on his $1,500;a year. ee G2 begins a tome, said the poor- house keeper, as he headed the first page in a new account book. “Now, WILLIE, SEE THE NICE Cake I HAVE MADE YOU FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY.” “Can I EAT IT ALL MYSELF?” “WHY, OF COURSE NOT. YOU WOULD BE SICK." “THAT'S JUST THE WAY WITH YOU, MAMMA, WHEN- EVER YOU DO GIVE ME ANY PLEASURE, YOU ALWAYS TIE A STRING TO IT.” comicbooks.com