Life, 1890-06-05 · page 3 of 16
Life — June 5, 1890 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XV, Number 288) This page contains several brief satirical items typical of Life's humor section: **"A Warning"** - A cautionary poem about two fair-haired women playing tennis, whose fame spreads and attracts male admirers. The joke appears to target the growing visibility of women's athletics and the social disruption this caused—men neglecting proper courtship pursuits to watch women play sports. **"Drawing the Line"** - A racist joke where Mr. Ingalls defines the difference between a "colored brother" and a "nigger" as being a Democrat versus a well-known person. This reflects the crude racial humor common in early 20th-century American publications. The remaining items are brief social gossip and anecdotes typical of Life's miscellaneous humor content. The overall tone reflects period attitudes toward gender roles, race, and social propriety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XV. _LIFE- NUMBER 388. A WARNING. WO maidens fair, with yellow hair, And striped dresses gay, From morn till night with main and might Did at lawn tennis play. Soon the fame of their famous game Spread to the neighboring towns; Men came to stare at their yellow hair, Their playing and their gowns, Many admired, but none aspired To court and marry these two, “Their playing is grand but we understand “Tis all that they can do.” Now youth is gone, they still play on, And still they have renown, For the small boys, naughty, say ‘*Thirty-forty " Is their nickname through the town, Aspiring % HETTI, FROM FLORENCE, HE LOVES OUR CLARA, RUT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD OF ENGLISH, ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND HE HAS LARGE ESTATES IN SCOTLAND, AND IS a Kstont oF THE Bath. Husband (a little deaf): A NOT AN THE BATH? He DOESN'T LOOK IT. THE ANXIETY OF AN. Y. TENANT. St, Peter: Wet, WHO 18 17? Page : W's JONES AND FAMILY, OF New York City, St. Peter: Aw, YES; VE WEARD OF HIM, BUT WHY DO YoU KEEP THM WAITING OUTSIDE? Page: MX. JONES WANTS TO KNOW IF YOU TAKE CHILDREN. DRAWING THE LINE. R. INGALLS, what is the difference between a colored other and a nigger?” id Mr. Ingalls, “a nigger is a Democrat, and a col- — well, you know.” AN UNCONSIDERED TRIFLE. (Cae fifty cents! It's an outrage; whiskey is cheap, too.”” “ Ah, but the ice.” SOCIAL ITEM FROM SHYCARGO. AVE you been invited to Mrs. de Bronson’s divorce on F iy?" “No; only the intimate friends are invited to that — but I got 8 for her marriage to General Henderson on Friday next?” LOOKING BACKWARD.” comicbooks.com