Life, 1890-12-11 · page 13 of 14
Life — December 11, 1890 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Life magazine contains several brief satirical sketches mocking American social conventions and workplace absurdities: **"A Useful Man"** ridicules editorial compromise—a newspaper editor assigns a tariff editorial but the new writer immediately asks "which side?" implying editors have no principled stance. **"He Will Get There"** jokes about domestic life: a man returning home after work says there's "no place like home," but his club-member friend calls home "Purgatory"—satirizing the era's tension between domestic obligation and bachelor leisure. **"Vanished Joys"** laments married life's constraints: a man must abandon champagne, cigars, and theater since marriage costs money. **"Personally Applied"** and **"It Is, Indeed!"** mock hypocrisy and gender relations—a woman "threw herself at his feet" in passion, yet she habitually "throws herself at his head" (pursues him aggressively). The sketches reflect turn-of-century anxieties about marriage, work, and authenticity in urban American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Judging by his acting in this part, the only one he has done in America, Mr. Willard bids fair to stand very high, indeed, in his profession, particularly as he is now less than forty years of age. Miss Marie Burroughs performs the part of Cyrus's daughter with excellent judgment; but as almost the entire interest is subservient to the star part, she has no great opportunity to distinguish herself. Mr. E. M. Bell is the only American among the male members of the cast, and acquits himself well in the little he has to do. The setting of the piece is excellent, the scene in the pottery being realistic in the extreme. Metcalfe. A USEFUL MAN. DITOR GREAT DAILY: I want a good, strong editorial on the tariff for to-mor- row. I think you can write it. New MAN (promptly): Yes, sir. Which side ? HE WILL GET THERE. FENDRICKS (strolling homeward with his friend after office hours): There's no place like home; eh, Thompson ? THOMPSON (a club man): Yes—thet Purgatory. EXTRAORDINARY SPECTACLE WITNESSED RY JONES THE OTHE SIGIIE ON HIS RETURN HOME, VANISHED JOYS. * (A HAMPAGNE, cigars, the play, and such— With these he'll no more carry on— A thousand dollars isn't much, He finds, to go and marry on. PERSONALLY APPLIED. pee ROTT: I believe in prac- tising what you preach. Wii Indeed! You must have great faith in my ideas, then. IT IS, INDEED! THE FACTS IN THE CASE. ORA: Yes, Hettie says that SUITABLE, Jack made her a} most Editor Religious Weekly: U WOULD Like. A MOTTO impassioned declaration—actually threw himself at her feet— FOR MY EDITORIAL ROOM. Dora: Really? —_ Refreshing change, isn’t it, when one remem- Dealer: AM, YES; NOW WOULD THIS ONE DO? bers how often she’s thrown herself at his head ! comicbooks.com