Life, 1890-11-13 · page 13 of 20
Life — November 13, 1890 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains several satirical pieces mocking social pretense and hypocrisy: **"Sweet Charity—à la Mode"** depicts charity solicitors pressuring a businessman (Mr. Potts) into donations while wrapping coercion in flattery. The satire targets manipulative fundraising: they claim it's "beautiful charity" while essentially extorting him—he gets public credit (the "halo") while paying the actual cost. **"Chicago's Reputation"** jokes that European museums won't loan artifacts to the Chicago Exposition because Chicagoans have a reputation for returning borrowed items in worse condition than received—implying Chicagoans are rough or careless. **"Coming to an Understanding"** features working-class Irish dialect humor about a woman confronting a man about his intentions, threatening legal action for breach of promise if he doesn't commit to marriage. These pieces collectively mock class anxiety, charitable pretense, regional stereotypes, and gender dynamics—typical *Life* magazine satire of this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WAYS AND MEANS. “TOWARDS Stre- phon’s ways My fond heartleans, But what dismays Me is his means,® Phyllis, He hasn't any. DOUSTED HIM. H” ND: Yes, Winker urged me togo in the saloon with him, and [had to, Wire: Was that all? It. strikes me that you had more than two. A) MippLe-AGED GENTLEMAN— Charles the Great. 275 CHICAGO'S REPU- TATION PR: I hear the European museums are declin- ing to send their his- torical and art treas- ures to the Chic Exposition. Why is that ? Secunpus: The Chicago people, | sup- pose, are insisting that they will return them in better condition SWEET CHARITY—A LA MODE. than when received. “MR, POrTs, WE HAVE COME ON HEHALP OF THE CHARITABLE CooKING ScHtooL, WE WISH TO GET ALL THE THINGS AT Cost OR HELOW, IF YOU REFUSE THIS, MR. i {ERY last POTIS, WE ARE IN A POSITION TO MAKE YOU REGRET IT—BUT, DEAR Mk. VoTTs, WE best giftto man PEEL SURE YOU WILL ORLIGE Us, [TIS SUCHTA BEAUTIFUL CHARITY.” has a good many Mr, Potts (aside, sad): THY GeT THE HALO, AND TL PAY THE PirkR. strings to it, REJOICINGS IN THE SPIRIT VALE. OLIVAR: We cannot see ourselves, my dear friends, as others see us. LaFAYErTE, BURNS, e¢ a/: Well, if we look anything like those New York statues of ourselves, it is a good thing for us that we cannot. COMING TO AN UNDERSTANDING. “TM A WAKE WoMAN, I KNOW; HUT IT'S NOT FOR THE LoIKes OF VEZ TO RE HANGING 'KOUND HERE FOR A WHOLE MONTH, AN’ DIVIL A WORD SPOKE BY YEZ ABOUT MARRIAGE, (Giving him an extra shake.) PUWAT DO VEZ MANE RY IT, ANYHOW ? THERE'LL SE NO BREACH OF PROMISE WID ME. NE COULD NOT HELP BEING STRUCK BY THE LIKENESS. MOIND THAT NOW." (No cards.)