Life, 1890-01-30 · page 11 of 16
Life — January 30, 1890 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 67 This page contains several satirical sketches and humorous short pieces typical of early Life magazine: **"A Warning"** mocks the busy bee's industriousness—advice not to emulate constant work. **"Unsatisfactory"** and **"In These Times"** are brief comic dialogues poking fun at mundane domestic situations and romance. **The main illustration** depicts a widow (labeled) speaking with John, apparently about a poor relative—likely satirizing family obligation and financial responsibility among the wealthy. **The lower section** mocks fashion trends, specifically women wearing eyeglasses as affectation rather than necessity—skewering the pretentiousness of conspicuous consumption and artificial attractiveness. **The final cartoon** jokes about a barber charging more than advertised, playing on the gap between signs and actual service quality. The overall tone is gentle social satire aimed at middle and upper-class absurdities and pretensions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
67 A WARNING. OW doth the little busy bee Improve each shining minute! And sometimes, too, he has his fun, But, friend, don’t you begin it. UNSATISFACTORY. HE BUTCHER: Did you tell Mr. Gore that his bill had been running for a long time? COLLECTOR: Yes, sir. THE BUTCHER: What did he say? CoLLEcToR: He said: “For heaven's sake let it stand a little while.” IN THESE TIMES. E: Kiss me, darling. SHE: One moment. Have you had la grippe? HE: Yes, SHE: Then wait till I take some quinine. AX O'RELL, that famous receptacle for old chestnuts, is again roaming these shores. This very interesting person is another illustration of what judicious ad- vertising may accomplish. It is difficult to say as yet whether he will lecture, dance the tight rope or write another book. Whatever he does is sure to be amusing, chiefly be- cause he himself has no suspicion of it. Widow (through medium to husband): JOUN, WILL YOU PLEASE TELL POOR . MOTHER THAT I WANT TO SPEAK WITH HER? OME humorist calls two teakettles a I Witt 1F I CAN, MY DEAR, BUT 1 HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR HER EVER ji ii is ii HERE, AND TO-DAY I DISCOVERED THAT HER NAME IS NOT ON par of scissors. This is shear RECENT advice from London me chronicles the fact that certain = \ ein ladies who have exhausted every HAUR | i -cuT other means of conspicuousness l cui = have taken to wearing the single eyeglass as a new method of attracting at- ae tention to themselves. It was fondly hoped that the acme of idiocy had been reached in the affectation of the lorgnette; but when lovely woman stoops to folly there is no telling where it will end. The fashion of aping physical infirmities once thoroughly established, we shall see our belles affecting ] crutches, cork legs, glass eyes, wax ears and other appliances which science and surgery have devised for the relief of afflicted humanity. b \§reenks « | ILES: McGinty, at all events, was a philosopher. Mr, Fussy: WHY DO YOU CHARGE ME TWENTY-FIVE CENTS rT i iit ii FOR A HAIR CUT WHEN YOUR SIGN SAYS ** FIRST-CLASS HAIR CUT 3 S. MERRITT: Yes. He had an inquiring mind PIPTEEN CENTS”? and always went to the bottom of everything. Barber: AM, BUT MONSIEUR HAS NOT THE FIRST-CLASS HAIR! comicbooks.com