Life, 1890-12-25 · page 24 of 51
Life — December 25, 1890 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece by Johanna Staats exposes male hypocrisy in courtship and engagement. A man recounts breaking his engagement to Ethel after discovering her in a compromising position with another man at a ball. However, the satire cuts deeper: he casually admits to kissing a different woman (a Thornton girl) moments before—yet sees no contradiction in condemning Ethel's behavior as grounds for ending their engagement. The joke is the man's obliviousness to his own duplicity. He considers his own indiscretion harmless ("nonchalant—at peace with all men—and women") while treating Ethel's similar lapse as unforgivable betrayal. The "octagon nature" quip—suggesting she might love multiple people—ironically describes his own behavior. The piece mocks Victorian-era sexual double standards where men's romantic transgressions were dismissed as natural, while women faced social ruin for equivalent conduct.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE-: ONE SIDE OF IT. “ I" was just at this time last year—the day our engagement was broken.” “You regret it?” “Not I. She is not worth regret.” “And she?” “I'm sure I do not know. I hardly think it. She had an octagon nature. If she loved one she might love eight.” “What caused the trouble?” “What? I had just left the conservatory. It was at the Van Pelt's ball. Parenthetically— 1 had been sitting out a dance with one of the Thornton girls—the pretty one. Incidentally—invited by her eyes—I! had just kissed her. I sauntered out into the light, musingly, nonchalant —at peace with all men —and women.” “I began asearch for Ethel, to whom I was en- gaged for the coming waltz.” “You found her—" “ Behind the portiere at the first landing of the great stairway. I lifted a corner of that curtain, I saw—well! To cut matters short —that blonde fop Enderby was with her. They had just arisen from the window seat—a lock of her hair had caught on the button of his coat. In five more minutes | had released her from that waltz, and our engagement as well.” “And she?” “She! She protested—wept—and all the rest of it. Said she was help- less in the matter—'twas an accident. They always say that, you know.” “And the conversation—that pretty Thornton girl—* “Oh! at was different!” Johanna Staats, OUT IN KANSAS. DISENCHANTMENT. = OW fast the ¢: s when yi y 5 1 HAT’S hecome of old Dr. Dulavan, who used to HY] metiihe car guns sree Jou try te: boars |e i per * (That's anticipation.) live down at Skaler’s Cove ? iti i “Oh, he’ a How slow it is when you have got aboard it! h, he's been in the poor-house a long spell. (That's realization.) “In the poor-house? How?” “Waal, yer see, he was caught deceivir patients, an’ the people riz agin him, an’ sorter boycotted him, He MORE RAVAGING THAN TIME. couldn't git a patient.” M RS. COBWIGC : Now, my dear, if you will cook “What was the reason?" the plum pudding just as I tell you, it will keep a “ Went ter givin’ bromide potas'um for snake bites, stid 0° year. whiskey.” Mrs. Brown: Ah! You don’t know Johnnie. comicbooks.com