Life, 1890-09-18 · page 5 of 14
Life — September 18, 1890 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A September Idyll. Misunderstood" This is a romantic comedy sketch about miscommunication. A man asks "May I kiss you?" in an orchard setting. The woman, intending to be clever, picks a leaf from a nearby pear tree and hands it to him instead of answering verbally—meaning "You have leaf" (a pun on "you have leave," granting permission). The man, however, misinterprets this literal gesture as rejection and walks away. The woman watches in astonishment as her wordplay backfires completely. The humor relies on the audience understanding the homophone joke while sympathizing with the man's literal interpretation of her confusing response. It's a gentle satire of romantic miscommunication and failed attempts at wit between courting couples.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE: A SEPTEMBER IDYLL. MISUNDERSTOOD, “ M** I kiss you?” It was in the orchard. She answered him not. Picking a leaf from a pear-tree near by, she handed it to him, He thought he read her answer, “Leave.” Turning, he went his way. She gazed at him in astonishment, for she meant her answer to be “ You have leaf.” Alas! and so it all ended. comicbooks.com