Life, 1890-10-30 · page 9 of 14
Life — October 30, 1890 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 239 This page contains a satirical sketch titled "SO DID WE ALL OF US" depicting a domestic scene where a maiden has been caught reading a French novel about matrimonial alliances. The humor centers on a morality concern: the father (Mr. Bings) worries that "realistic" French literature is corrupting his household with "venomous serpent of corrupt literature" and "fetid imaginings." The accompanying dialogue snippet "A GROWING EVIL" and "AN INTERNATIONAL COMPLICATION AVERTED" suggests anxiety about European (specifically French) cultural influence on American morality and family values—a common satirical theme in early 20th-century American magazines. The joke targets Victorian-era concerns about dangerous foreign literature threatening domestic propriety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SO DID WE ALL OF US. Maiden (who has been reading of the French way of conducting matrimonial alliances): FORE YOU MARRIED HIM, DIDN'T YOU ? Mamma (sadly): 1 THOUGHT I DID, MAMMA, VOU KNEW PAPA QUITE WELL HE- A GROWING EVIL. R. BINGS (fo Af's daughter): Clara, is it possible that I saw you reading that realistic novel “At Last,” yesterday ? Ciara (meekly): Lam afraid you did, father. Mr. BinGs: Has it come to this, that the venomous serpent of corrupt literature, the insidious poison of over- charged and fetid imaginations, is even now tracking its crimson course through my very household ! good ? How was it; AN INTERNATIONAL COMPLICATION AVERTED. RINCE SANSSOU ; Why not say “yes,” darling? I know that the feeling I have for you is love. Why should you think } am mistaken? Why should you think I have deceived myself? Miss Asroruitt: Ah, your highness, that was an old copy of Bradstreet you saw, WANT ADVERTISEMENTS—AII the papers. comicbooks.com