Life, 1890-05-29 · page 10 of 18
Life — May 29, 1890 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The House of the Medium" & "A May-Day Episode" The top cartoon satirizes spiritualism and séances—popular among the wealthy during this era. A disembodied spirit (appearing disheveled) is questioned by a smug "medium" and well-dressed clients about whether New York has become a "city of refuge" for the poor. The spirit's frustrated response mocks both spiritualism's pretensions and society's indifference to urban poverty and homelessness. The bottom story "A May-Day Episode" depicts a vagrant ("tramp") encountering children at a May-pole celebration. His hunger and desperation terrify them; he's portrayed as rough and menacing ("blood-shot eyes," "snag-teeth"). The narrative critiques both working-class desperation and the social distance between poverty and genteel society, using the children's fear to highlight class anxiety of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(_ THE HOUSE CF KE MEDIUM. - $< “1s THs a CITY OF REFUGE?" ASKED THE DISEMBODIED SPIRIT OF ONE OF THE PIONKERS OF GREEK CIVILIZATION, WHO HAD BEEN LEFT OVER FROM A SPIRITUALISTIC SEANCE OF THE NIGHT PREVIOUS. THE QUESTION WAS ADDRESSED TO A PATIENT NEW YORKER ON HIS WAY TO MAIL A LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO THE New YORK STREET-CLEANING DEPARTMENT. “NO, SIR,” REPLIED THE DOWN-TRODDEN CITIZEN OF A SERVILE REPURLIC, “THIS Is a CITY oF REFUSE!” “AN, INDEED, EVERYTIIN TELL Me; 18 THIS THE AGE OF PHIDIAS, OR WHAT AGE 1S IT?” “THe GARI-AGE,” REPLIED THE CITIZEN, AS HE PREPARED TO CLIMD OVER THE PILE OF DEBRIS IN FRONT OF THE LAMP-POST, “* AND THERE'S AN OFFAL SMALL CHANCE OF ITS EVER BEING ANY OTHER!" AND THE SPIRIT PUT ASHES OX ITS HEAD AND TORE ITS PENUMBRA INTO SHREDS, A MAY-DAY EPISODE. The tramp meekly obeyed aud shuffled towards the Arse- nal, the grass-hopper urging him occasionally with the stick, One of the two girls, plucking up courage, ran to the tramp and asked : Aren't you hungry enough to eat the policeman?” “Not quite,” said the ogre, with a twinkle in his eye. “1 don't crave p'licemen ter-day.” N the bushes a tramp couched, ready to spring on the baskets belonging to a May party. On the soft sward of the park many happy children Alexander L. Kinkead. were skipping around a . aie May-pole, and two girls, delegated to watch the baskets. looked longingly at their comrades. The tramp wish- ed they would goto join their playmates if only for a moment, but as they were faithful to their trust, he concluded to frighten them. “Hist!” he said, in a running whisper; “hist! I'm de ‘rig’nal ogre what yer've read about in de story books—him what eats chillun.”” The two girls looked around in affright, but they saw no one. “I'm hungry,” continued the tramp, “but not hungry ‘nuf ter eat chillun. When I'm reel hun- gry | eat p'licemen—chaw dem wid relish.” Then he parted the bushes and showed his dirty bearded-face, his blood-shot eyes, his snag-teeth. The two guardians of the baskets screamed and ran away in terror. Then the tramp rushed out, grabbed a basket and started for the bushes again, BEARDING THE LION. < 4 ‘. Maude Di + FROUSART MACGONIGAL, YOU MAY HAVE RLUE'RERK BLOOD but on the way back he collided with a park police- laude Dufy semble . : : IN YOUR VEINS NOR TERENCE SHEA HAS, BUT YOU AIR NOT HIS EQWAL RY NO man’s club, . . 0’ MEANS! HE MAY BE POOR, BUT HE 18 NO EYRSORE WHO WOULD “ Put that basket where it was. SELL MIS BIRTHRIGHT FOR A MESS OF SAUSAGE! comicbooks.com