Life, 1890-12-25 · page 45 of 51
Life — December 25, 1890 — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines humor comics with period advertising. The three brief comedic sketches mock romantic conventions: **"From Bad to Worse"** satirizes male flattery—a suitor showers a woman with hyperbolic compliments (eyes like diamonds, hair like gold sunset), then abandons her for another girl, suggesting his declarations were insincere performance rather than genuine affection. **"Room for Doubt"** jokes about a woman uncertain whether her suitor was attracted to her or merely indifferent, playing on anxieties about reading male intentions. The third sketch involves a woman (Angeline) flattered when a man claims her singing voice matters more than the song choice—then she burdens him with an ancient, tedious ballad, subverting his flattery through her own poor judgment. All three comics mock the era's elaborate romantic rhetoric and gender dynamics—men's empty flattery, women's insecurity and vanity. The bottom half is a full-page **advertisement** for jeweler John Mason (formerly of Tiffany & Co.), promoting holiday gifts at "reasonable prices" with mail-order options.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
— -LIFE- us “What song do you most admire?” inquired Angeline of Mr. Verisoft. ct “It makes little differeace to me what song, so long as you sing it, Miss Angeline.” : And then she loaded him up with a ballad with the euphonious title of ** Little Annie Rooney, an ancient ode which was formerly sung as a lyric by the Egyptians of the time of Queen Hatasu. Hartford Post. ROOM FOR DOUBT. He: WZ SHE RAZZLE-DAZZLED WHEN Sit My SUNDAY CLOTHES, OR WUZ IT INDIFFE: FROM BAD TO WORSE. Miss May Ture: OM, Evitn, DEAR, PO YoU KNOW THAT FRED ACTUALLY PROPOSED He said my eyes were* diamonds bright, my cheeks like LAST EVENING ? jacqueminots, my neck and brow as fair and white as winter's Edith: Just as 1 expecten. fairest snows, He swore my hair was like the gold that tints ak SWrersbid vou texeacrourt the sunset skies, my chin was cast in Cupid's. mold—and truth Miss May Ture ou seemed in his eyes. My smile was like the new-born day, Edith: Wy, WHEN | REFUSED HIM LAST NIGHT, HE SAID HE WOULD GO AND DO 4 my teeth twin rows of pearl, and after that he went away to SOMETHING DESPERATE.—London Fun see another girl.—Cape Cod Item HOLIDAY GIFTS. JOHN MASON, 246 FIFTH AVENUE, FORMERLY WITH TIFFANY & CO., Invites inspection by sightseers as well as intending purchasers of his T, large and carefully Selected Stock of Diamonds, Watches, Jewelry, Silver- ware, Fancy Goods, Cut Glass Ware, Stationery, etc. Manufactured with view to the present season. Suitable for Holiday or Wedding Gifts, and offered at prices that will be found very reasonable. and — Customers at a distance may. have goods sent them on_ selection, upon receipt of satisfactory reference. Best JOHN MASON, a | 246 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK. comicbooks.com