Life, 1891-01-08 · page 6 of 20
Life — January 8, 1891 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 22 **"Dr. Johnson Corrected"** (top left): A satirical cartoon showing a disheveled man being corrected about Samuel Johnson's famous quote on poverty. The joke plays on the classical reference—the man misquotes Johnson's observation that poverty doesn't prevent seeking fashionable dress. **"A Matter of Common Price and Decency"** (top right): Depicts a woman rejecting a suitor's proposal, emphasizing her standards and independence—typical Victorian-era humor about courtship and female agency. **"The Modest Maid"** (center): A poem by K.H. Tilkrington about a woman whose suitor extravagantly praises her beauty and charm, ending with her matter-of-fact response that she believes him. The humor lies in the contrast between his flowery declarations and her practical acceptance. **"The Root of the Evil"** (bottom): A brief anecdote about a church choir incident, relying on understated humor typical of early 20th-century Life magazine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: OR. JOHNSON CORRECTED. LOW rises Worth by Poverty depressed "— Not while the fair seek Paris to be dressed. He (excitedly): Quick, Miss Lampswoot, Wat DOES“DAT SIGN SVFLL? Kase—I—I can‘r stor! “ THERE, MY GOOD MAN, THERE'S A PLAT! L OF VICTUALS, RUT I SHOULD THINK A GREAT, BIG, STRONG FELLOW LIKE YOU WOULD BE ASHAMED TO RE “So 1 AM ASHAMED, BUT WHAT AM ITO DO? IT MUST EITHER BPG OR WORK!" THE MODEST MAID. told me,” said the modest maid, “| was the pearl of pearls ; My charms displayed would overshade Ten thousand other girls. He vowed I was his cherished prize, His goddess, his delight : He praised my eyes more blue than skies, Their glance than gems more bright. He swore gold glittered in my hair, No words could tell my worth ; He called me fair beyond compare With anything on earth.” “And trust you,” asked the matron, wise, ‘*1n what he says to you?” From the maid's eyes shone sweet surprise : “Of course! I dnow it's true.” RM Titherington. THE ROOT OF THE EVIL. : While the choir was trying to master the new Te Deum the other night at the church rehearsal, the organ suddenly stopped, and we found the boy who had been blowing it flat on his back, unconscious. SHE: What did you do, send for a doctor ? HE: No, We stopped singing. comicbooks.com