Life, 1890-05-08 · page 3 of 18
Life — May 8, 1890 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XV, Number 384) This page contains three satirical vignettes about Victorian-era social conventions: 1. **"Pensions, Like Kings, Never Die"** mocks pension claims, where a woman claims to be the widow of an 1812 veteran—likely exaggerating or fabricating her connection to receive benefits. 2. **"Getting Rid of Chappie"** satirizes romantic entanglements, depicting someone attempting to end an unwanted relationship through deception (offering betting odds to a rival suitor). 3. **"Not a Beauty Spot"** shows a woman attempting cosmetic deception, with dialogue about a "dreadful dirt" that cannot improve appearances—mocking women's use of beauty patches or makeup to mask flaws. The cartoons collectively ridicule social pretense, false claims, romantic manipulation, and vanity among the Victorian upper classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XV. : || f f : “NUMBER 384. PENSIONS, LIKE KINGS, NEVER DIE. Want a pension, eh?) What's your claim? Waal, my g vas the third husband o' the widow of a veteran of 1812, an’ as near as I can figger it out, there ain't no one but me left to represent the old lady's claim . WOULD NEVER DO. £ “Your references are very satisfactory, but 1 cannot engage you.” “May I enquire why not, madam sked the would-be butler. ~ Your hair is red, and my dining room is decorated in robin's-egg blue.” You MAKE ME TIRED—said the wagon wheel to the blacksmith. GETTING RID OF CHAPPIE. (What he says.) “D's THe QUEEKEST Tit Pa CALLED ON THAT MISS HANKINSON, OF HARES, LAST NIGHT, AND THAT CHUnn WAS THERE. 1 HADN'T BEEN IN THE ROOM TEN MINUTES, WIEN Cian OFFERED TO HET MISS HANKINSON THAT 1 COULDN'T GO DOWN TO THR BATTERY axD RACK IN TWO HOURS, SIE TOOK THE HET, AND TSPARTED. 1 bID ET IN AN HOUK AND FORTY MINUTES, NUT WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE HOUSE CHUnH HAD GONE HOME AND MISS HANKINSON HAD RETIRED.” . ‘See we mi: Jarling ; or, shall we knot?" was the short and witty line an ardent lover dispatched to the idol of his heart. But, where the strangeness of the matter comes in, the girl replied: “T shall not! You can do as you please.” VE was the most particular of ladies. NOT A BEAUTY SPOT. She wore a walking costume that Civilisation: \WMAT \ DRRADEUL LOT! 1 CAN'T MAKE ANY IMPRESSION UPON UT “can't be duplicated " now, The World: Ou, THAT'S Russivt comicbooks.com