Life, 1890-01-09 · page 3 of 18
Life — January 9, 1890 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "An Excuse That Excused" This cartoon satirizes a social embarrassment of the Edwardian era. Mr. Smithers missed Miss Elder's birthday reception, claiming he'd misplaid the invitation card. When confronted, he offers an increasingly implausible excuse: he thought he wasn't born yesterday—implying he wouldn't forget such an important date. The humor lies in the transparent absurdity of his excuse-making. His claim that "a gentleman" told him Smithers wasn't born yesterday is circular logic meant to deflect responsibility, yet it obviously fails. The title "An Excuse That Excused" is ironic—his excuse accomplishes nothing and likely worsens his social standing with Miss Elder, whose skeptical expression suggests she's not fooled. The cartoon mocks weak excuses and social pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GRANLEY PROCURES FROM A DESIGNER AN APPROPRIATE COAT-OF-ARMS. HE GETS MARRIED SOON AFTER AND HAS THE ARMS ADAPTED TO CHANGING CONDITIONS. N. B.—The mottoes in the last five have been suppressed. AN EXCUSE THAT EXCUSED. Miss Elder; WAY WERE YOU NOT AT MY BIRTHDAY RECEPTION YESTERDAY, MR. SMITHERS? DIDN'T YOU RECEIVE YOUR CARD? Mr, Smithers: Yes, BUT 1 MISLAID IT. Miss Elder; BUT DION'T YOU REMEMBER THE DATE? Mr, Smithers (without malice): 1 THOUGNT I DID UNTIL I HEARD A GENTLEMAN SAY THAT YOU WERE NOT BORN YESTERDAY. comicbooks.com