Life, 1890-09-11 · page 10 of 18
Life — September 11, 1890 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 136 of Life Magazine - Analysis This page contains three separate satirical pieces: 1. **"A Question for Mannish Maids"** - A brief dialogue joke about women's fashion, specifically collar buttons on the back of necks—mocking what appears to be an unflattering or impractical women's fashion trend. 2. **"A Pastile in Prose"** - A sentimental short story about a couple's final goodbye, using flowery language to describe the bittersweet nature of endings and forgotten memories. 3. **"An Illustration"** (bottom right) - Features two men at a desk interviewing a woman, with dialogue about a bank director and a cashier named Collins. The joke appears to mock workplace incompetence or financial mismanagement, though the specific reference is unclear without additional context. The page demonstrates Life's mix of fashion satire, romantic sentiment, and workplace humor typical of early 20th-century American periodicals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: fills all the night. Other nights shall come ghost-haunted. Ghosts of inscrutable glances—of sweet replies to old immortal questionings. She stands beside him, her lips quivering with agony suffered for his sake. His eyes are filled with pitying tears for two broken lives —their own. Alas! for the happy, foolish, fugitive hours they had owned in common. Alas! forthe nights brimming with happy silences under the stars. The shaded lamp is burning out. The hour has come. Words are poor things. ‘Did I bring my cane?" And his trembling hand reaches intoa shadowy comer. “Yes; here it is,” replies she. “Good night. ** Good night.” Each knows that it is good-bye. Acaress. A sigh. A sob, The door closes. His rapid footsteps are speedily lost to her listening eat. Yes, it is over. The darkness swallows him from sight. A murky flash. He is lighting his cigarette. And she? She slowly rearranges her ruffled bangs as she murmurs, with a yawn: “| wonder what time he'll come up to-morrow night 1" ‘They have bid each other an eternal farewell before. Johanna Staats. AN ILLUSTRATION. G EORGE BLOOMING STULTEY (rising young J author): Truly, Miss Curry, humor and pathos are closely related ! Miss Curry: Yes. When you read us those selections from your works, we thought they were related as cause and effect. A COACHMAN—The stage prompter. A QUESTION FOR MANNISH MAIDS. He: THERE 1s ONE THING I'D LIke TO KNOW, She: Wuar's THAT? He: Wat dO You GIRLS SAY WHEN YOUR COLLAR-BUT= TON SLIPS DOWN THE BACK OF YOUR NECK? A PASTILE IN PROSE. ‘+ ] T is for the last time," she whispered. Dumbly eyes told eyes this was the truth, Always inevit- able, it had come at last. After to-night there was to be no future in common. As yet neither has said the word that each is thinki 1" A little word to hold so much of pain,“ To A short sentence to illustrate the impossible ‘ot 1A prayer fora reprieve. The end!" A futureless hour which embraces Past and Present “The rose is dead,” says he, as a shower of petals fell at his feet. Mechanically removing the broken stem from his button- hole, he added—"* and—the word is said.” It has been a most sweet chapter in our lives," said she, with downcast eye I would not have missed it,” replied he—"‘ though we may never add "— “To be continued.” And a tear stole softly over her cheek. First Bank Director: WE'D RETTER LET COLLINS Go. Each had lingered, loth to turn the last torn leaf. Soon Second B. D.: Wuy? HE'S BEEN OUK CASHIER FOR TWENTY-FIVE nothing would be left of what had been all, Alas! ‘That the Years! books of men’s lives should be written in the sand, and that the First B. D.: V ®SOW, BUT HE'S TOO INFERNALLY HONEST, WE DON'T tides of the years leave not even a trace. A strange emptiness GET A CHANCE TO DO ANY FINANCIERING. comicbooks.com