Life, 1890-11-13 · page 9 of 20
Life — November 13, 1890 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Before and After: Bachelor" This page contains humorous social commentary about marriage and courtship. The main illustration shows a couple meeting, captioned "Meeting on a Common Plane," with a note about class differences being "equals in birth." The dialogue below depicts a comic misunderstanding between characters named Travers and Cleverton involving money and debt repayment—apparently Cleverton owes Travers £5, creating confusion about who owes whom what. A second cartoon titled "The Youthful G.A.R. Idea" shows a young boy telling his mother he plans to become a soldier, with her concerned response about supporting his family without income. The poems at top contrast a bachelor's freedom (throwing away cigars) with a married man's loss of autonomy. These pieces satirize courtship conventions, financial confusion, and changing life prospects after marriage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TET I TT SRE 7 CERT MEETING ON A COMMON PLANE. “THEY ARE FQUALS IN MIRTH, ARE T vor" “Yes. MRS. VAN MORDEN IS DESCENDED FROM THE DUTCH, AND Mrs. MCINTYRE HAS ASCENDED FROM THE TRisH.” TRAVERS (fo Cleverton): ‘Then what do you mean by trying to do me out of $3? Wait a minute (wavéng his hand), Vil prove it. Now, let us begin all over again, and start where we were yesterday, before you tried to mix this thing up. Cc ‘ton, have you got that same $5 b CLEVERTC TRAVER a | you had yesterday > N (confused): Ves, here itis. Then just let me have it fora minute. I’m not going to rob you! ‘That's right. Now, Dashaway, Lowe you $3 (Aands it to Dashaway). Now 1 have paid you, havn't 1? Now you pa ray hands the $3 to Cleverton.) Now, Cleverton, Dashaway has paid you the he owed you, hasn’t he ? CLEVERTON : Y-e-s, ‘Travers: And are you anything out by the transaction ? and haven't you got the same $5 you started with? You ought to tak arithmetic, CLEVERTON : y Cleverton what you owe him. (Dash- a few lessons in simple at seems to be all rig ; n't see how | got so mixed up. TRAVERS (three minutes later, by himself): “Vhat was the easiest $5 1 ever made. Tom Masson. i EV. DR. FRESHLEIGH: My dear Mr. Sampson, what was the name of that beautiful hymn you played just after my sermon last Sabbath ? ON (the organist): Oh, it was called “ He giveth his beloved sleep "— er—nothing personal, you know, Doctor. Sa 271 BEFORE AND AFTER. BACHELOR. THROW my old cigar away Three-quarters smoked ; I watch it turn from red to gray, There is no tongue to chide my act, Nor any hand to stay. BEN? She throws my old cigar away One-quarter smoked ; She asks not if she can or may, I have no power to change the fact, Nor any hand to stay. John James Mechan, REDDY wants to know why a lover is so often called a spoon.” Authorities are divided: some think it is because itseemsto be the principal ob- ject of his existence to hold something, and others contend that it is because he is so often near the lips. One good reason would seem to be the hard for- tune which so often puts him in the soup. _ THE WOODS ARE FULL OF THEM —Trees. THE YOUTHFUL G. A. R. IDEA. New Minister: ARE YOU GOING TO BE WHEN YOU GRO’ Johnnie: On, VM GOIN’ 10 BE A SOL DIER FOR A WILE, NM INDEF Johnnie: N€S. AND THEN AFTER THAT EVERYRODY THE FAMILY LL GET TWELVE DOLLARS EVERY MONTH FOR NOTHING, JUST LIKE WE po NOW. AND, JOUNSIE, WItAT ue? comicbooks.com