Life, 1889-11-28 · page 7 of 18
Life — November 28, 1889 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 303 **Top Cartoon ("Thanksgiving Week"):** A scraggly, disheveled man (appearing homeless or destitute) refuses a turkey pie from a well-dressed woman, declaring he's been "livin' on it till I'm sick" and prefers honest work. The satire critiques charity that offers repetitive or inadequate aid—suggesting Thanksgiving-season charity as performative rather than substantive. The contrast between the woman's comfort and the man's ragged appearance emphasizes class disparity. **Lower Illustration:** Two children sit near a graveyard, apparently in conversation—likely accompanying the poem "I Fool on Forever" by R.H. Martin, which uses schoolyard perspectives and mischief as its subject. The page primarily features literary content (poetry and short stories) rather than hard political satire, representing Life's mixed editorial approach to social commentary and entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
> LIFE: tolerant and contented"’; its soil breeds little genius, and “still less treason.” It may be fair to say that there is a distinct prejudice in Pennsylvania against new ideas; and it may be added that the people cling faithfully to some very good old ideas which have elsewhere been abandoned for no adequate reason. Middle-State conservatism does not make a brilliant showing beside Western aggressiveness and New England shrewdness, but it manages to produce a fine aver- age of happiness. [‘ History of the United States of Amer- ica—1800-1805." Scribner’s.] Droch. NEW BOOKS. MONEY. By James Platt, F.S.S. New York and London: G. P. Put- ‘nam's Sons. A Knight of Faith. By Lydia Hoyt Farmer. Chicago: J. S. Ogilvie. Adrift. K Story of Niagara. By Julia Ditto Young. Philadelphia: J. B, Lippincott Company. SOMETHING OF A PARVENU. O you know Mr. Marcus Browne?" “Know him? I guess. He was my champignon de voyage when I went abroad last summer,” replied Mr. Malaprop. “cc THANKSGIVING WEEK, CERTAIN newspaper heading might well be changed from “Personal and Pertinent” into “Personal and Impertinent.” TAKE IT AWAY. Tramp: IF THAT'S TURKEY AN' MINCE PIE YER OFFERIN’ ME, I'VE BEEN A LIVIN’ ON IT TILL I'm SICK, AIN'T YER GOT A BIT OF PLAIN, GOOD, OLE-FASHIONED ROAST BEEF, RARE ? By twenty shops I take my way, Or tarry altogether, For there I often spend the day, In pleasant summer weather, Till last to learning’s seat I come, To join the buzzing scholars, To do my task and work my sum And soil my cuffs and collars. I grumble, grumble, when I know The right and wrong to sever, For masters come and masters go, But I go on forever. I whisper to my right-hand man, I pinch my left-hand neighbor, IT shirk my work when'er I can, And when I have to, labor. I sometimes hum a pleasant air, And sometimes, too, I whistle, I pull my deskmate by the hair, T rub him with a thistle. With many a joke the time I pass, With many a prank and antic: I leave the honors of the class To dolts and fools pedantic. I barter knives and balls and tow, I trade and traffic ever ; For masters come and masters go, But I fool on forever. I crawl about and out and in, The desks and benches under: I bump my head, I crack my shin, I give my elbow thunder. In apples, peaches, pears and plums, I frolic and I revel, Till on the scene the master comes, And then I catch the d —1. I stand before the gaping crowd, I see the flashing switches, I feel my soul within me cowed, I tremble in my breeches. I squirm, I kick, I howl, I yell, I load the air with screeches, I need a hundred plasters, well, And half a hundred leeches. And thus in wit and worth I grow, Wax sharp and quick and clever; For masters come and masters go But I fool on forever. R. H. Martin, comicbooks.com