Life — November 27, 1890 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The More the Merrier" — Life Magazine, November 27, 1890 This cartoon depicts a domestic scene with the caption referencing "long engagements." A man stands beside a seated woman, who appears to hold a document or letter. The exchange reads: "He (who has just been accepted): Do you believe in long engagements?" with the Chicago Widow's response: "No. I prefer short ones." The joke satirizes serial marriage, particularly targeting a woman identified as "Chicago Widow"—suggesting she has been married multiple times. The humor lies in her preference for "short" engagements, implying quick marriages that end just as quickly (presumably through the deaths of her husbands). This reflects late-19th-century anxieties about wealthy widows and remarriage patterns, presented as dark comedy.