Life, 1890-12-18 · page 5 of 14
Life — December 18, 1890 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains two distinct pieces: **Upper illustration**: A theatrical scene showing a woman in elaborate period dress in what appears to be a palace interior. The caption references a domestic conversation about kerosene, suggesting this is a humorous juxtaposition of high theatrical drama with mundane household concerns—a common Life magazine satire tactic mocking the gap between art and everyday reality. **Lower section titled "The Mystery Explained"**: A dialogue explaining how letters of introduction from friends in one city secured social access in another city. This appears to satirize the social convention of relying on personal connections and referrals for entry into respectable society—poking fun at how arbitrary and circular these networking practices were. The poker card illustration is decorative.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Naw Girl: PLEASE, MUM, THE PIKE'S OUT, AND THE COOK WANTS TO KNOW WITEKE’S THE KEROSENE. Mistress: We DON'T KEEP KEROSENE, NUT IF YOU ARF IN A HURRY, YOU WILL FIND A SMALL KEG: OF POWDER IN MY HUSDAND'S ROOM. THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED. s in Chicago I mailed a letter of introduction, and in a short time 1 Afterwards, in Boston, I mailed a similar letter of H When I w: received an invitation to call. introduction, but received-no reply. Sue: And have you been able to fathom the mystery ? He: In Chicago the letter of introduction was from a Boston friend, and in Boston from a Chicago friend. I have. VOKER TERMS : rut AFTER MANY YEARS. NV RS. O HER- ITY: Your sister has another child, Pat. Mr. O'FLANERITY: Is it a boy or a girl? A girl.” “Huroo! at last.” I'm an aunt Why NV ISS ROXY: i do you object to going with us to the theatre ? Mr. Spatts: My dear girl, I love you for your- self alone, dear mamma‘ “\ JHE ve you been. Rex,” re- marked Miss Flossie to her mastiff; and as the noble animal — winked cheerfully and laid a por- tion of Charles Henry's Sunday trousers at her feet, shecontinued : “You bad doggie, I'm afraid you've been off on another tear.” Cc LLER: Where's your father ? URCHIN: He's shinglin’ CALLER: The barn ? Urcuin: No, Tommy. comicbooks.com