Life, 1890-12-18 · page 11 of 14
Life — December 18, 1890 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 357 This page contains theatrical gossip and light humor rather than political satire. The main cartoon shows two figures discussing someone with "cloven feet"—a reference to the Devil. The joke plays on the phrase "cloven breath" (bad breath) as a misheard alternative. Below that, "Ministerial Tribulations" depicts two preachers discussing meager salaries and donations, with one ironically noting he's "worse off" despite receiving $100. The humor targets clergy financial struggles. The right page includes "Taking a Knight Off," a visual pun showing a figure removing armor from a chess knight piece, exploiting the homophone between the chess piece and a medieval warrior. The theatrical items reference Broadway actors and society figures of the era, discussing performances and social gatherings among the theater world's elite.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
: LIFE: expedition. Flowers will be sold in the lobby by Aunt Louisa Eldridge, Mrs. Walcott, Mrs, Whiffen, Mrs. Gilbert, Mrs. Kendal, and a number of other young actresses. The Actors’ Association has adopted the following emi- nently sensible rule: It shall not be allowable for any member while in the club-house to talk more than forty consecutive minutes about himself or his histrionic triumphs and experiences, unless it shall so happen that there is no other member present who wishes to talk about himself and his histrionic tri- umphs and experiences. s . At the same meeting it was decided that hereafter the members of the Association would occupy only the west side of Broadway, from Twenty-third St., north, as a lounging place. This will leave the east side of Broadway open for ordinary traffic, 357 That ideal actress and noble woman, Mrs. Kendal, is something of an epicure. She and her husband had been dining sumptuously at the Newmoneys’, last Sunday, and as they entered their hansom she was heard to remark: T: rapin and champagne are better than pigs’-trotters a small-beer, are they not, Willie?” . . . Mr, Daly, after mature deliberation, has concluded not to raise the price of seats at his theatre to fifty dollars each. . . . A fashionable New York audience came very near applaud- ing an American actor the other evening. They detected his accent just in time though, and avoided the blunder. . . . It is said that the Morton House is about to abolish its free lunch. The removal of the Rialto to upper Broadway has seriously impaired the usefulness of the spread, although occasional pilgrims from the new stamping He: ‘THex | suppose you She: V TWINK NE HAS A CLOVEN BREATH. grounds visit the old shrine. . ° . Miss Gladys Montclair, who starred last season in that thrilling society play “The Trunkless Woman,” has adopted the variety stage as being better suited to her abilities. She was wearing her sealskin sack and dia- mond ear-rings when we met her on Broad- way, yesterday. Metcalf Metcalfe. DOWN TO FIRST PRINCIPLES. HAT do you do for a living ?”” “Breathe !" YOUNG man shouldn't strike moustache when it’s down. THINK THE DEVIL MAS CLOVEN FEET? MINISTERIAL TRIBULATIONS. Pees= PREACHER: How much is your salary ? SECOND PREACHER (sorrow/ully) + How much is yours ? First PREACHER (sadly): are—I get them all. $300; but I don't get it all. Four donations ; but I'm worse off than you “TAKING A KNIGHT OFF.” comicbooks.com