Life, 1890-11-06 · page 8 of 18
Life — November 6, 1890 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page celebrates Ward McAllister, a prominent New York socialite and arbiter of high society etiquette in the Gilded Age. The satirical quotes mock his pretensions and limited intellect—calling his writings "sickly twaddle and pointless anecdote" (Leo XI) and suggesting he's "a fool" with "no perception of himself" (Bishop Traller). The cartoon "A Mountain Retreat" (top left) and the dialogue scenes below appear to ridicule McAllister's social observations and his role as gatekeeper of New York's elite. The piece suggests his fame rests entirely on social position rather than genuine merit or knowledge—he picks phrases "out of a book" without understanding them. The satire targets both McAllister's vapid commentary on society and, more broadly, the superficiality of Gilded Age aristocracy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A MOUNTAIN RETREAT. THE ONLY THING. £* DEEN to Brooklyn, eh?” “Yep.” “Come across anything remarkable?" “Yep.” “What?” “The Bridge. Mr. Charley Younghusband : wuat's THE MATTER? Mrs. Younghusband (in deep anguish): 1 OAVE— A—A—TRAMP—A P—P—PIECE OF MY FRESH HOME MADE BREAD AND—AND—HE GAVE IT TO ROVER. Mr, Charley Younghusband (consolingly) : WELL, I WOULDN'T CRY ABOUT A LITTLE THING Like THAT. Mrs. Younghusband: You von'r v—u—ux- DERSTAND, I'M CRYING anouUT ROVER—HE 1S DEAD—B00—HOO—H100 ! Way, ‘LIFE: MORE GLORY FOR WARD MCALLISTER, SOME TELEGRAMS NOT YET RECEIVED. Cl “THERE is only one man beside myself in America who could do such a thing, and that man is Ward McAllister.” Elliott. F. Shepard. “ THE book is a valuable contribution to science,and materially widens the field of scientific possibilities. It demonstrates conclusively that a man with absolutely no mind can make an ass of himself in more ways and with less effort than a person more liberally endowed. I consider it of great value as illustrating the difference between genius and acquired proficiency.” Brown-Sequard. “T LOVE the man’s simple nature; let his humility be an example. 1 say humility, as no one with a particle of pride would ever allow himself to publish such a mess of sickly twaddle and pointless anecdote.” Leo “NI, “But it is wonderful! Is it that a man like this is the result of a republic? In that case, then where is it that are the horrors of a despotism ?” Sadie Carnot. “ OF all flat things that ever have been, ‘The flattest, by far, are from Wardy’s pen.” John Greenleaf Whittier, “So sad for his family.” W. E. Gladstone, “THE wonder lies not in the man’s being such 4 fool, but in the fact of his having no perception of it himself." Bishop Trotter, “ CoME into the banquet, Ward, Let there such genius shine ; Your strength lies less in books, Ward, Than in choosing the food and wine.” Alfred Tennyson. THE VALUE OF READING. P* RROTT: ‘That man over there rolls his R's like a Burgundy French- man. WIGGINS : PARROTT: WIGGINS PARROTT WIGGIN PARROTT : WIGGINS: PARROTT : Were you ever in France ? No. Can you speak French ? No. Could you pick out Burgundy on the map? Why— no! — — — —?? O, I just picked the phrase out of a book ! TOO MANY FINGERS IN THE PIE. “HE: What, you love me? Why, you do not know enough about me yet. HE (having seen her father's rating in Bradstreel : to love you, and ask you to be my wife. Sue: Ah, if you knew all you would not ask that. HE: What, is your heart in the grave ? SHE: No, but I have nine younger sisters, I know enough comicbooks.com