Life, 1891-03-12 · page 13 of 14
Life — March 12, 1891 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains four separate comic sketches satirizing contemporary society: **"The Quick and the Dead"** mocks wealthy widow-remarriage customs. A suitor offers to change his surname so the widow can keep her dead husband's name—suggesting the absurdity of how the wealthy prioritize social appearance (preserving a name) over genuine emotion. **"A Point to Be Remembered"** jokes about servants' French conversation ("causeries de Lundi"—Monday chats), implying domestic staff ape upper-class pretensions. **The "Jack Astor" joke** satirizes a recent aristocratic marriage, likely referencing the Astor family. The repeated submission of this pun—now sent 399 times to Life's editors—ridicules both the society pages' obsession with wealthy marriages and the public's exhausted repetition of weak humor. **"A Natural Conclusion"** darkly jokes that a druggist's medicine killed someone's dog; when the customer protests, the druggist implies the customer's wife deserved the poison—misogynistic humor typical of the era. **"Teacher and Johnny"** uses a child's speech impediment ("cole" for "cold") for comic effect while showcasing working-class resilience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. Charming Widow : On, Xo, MR. HATHAWAY, SAY NO MORE, I—I COULD NOT MARRY YOU—OH, I woULD NOT GIVE UP MY POOR—DEAR—DEAD—CHARLIE’S NAME—THAT IS ALL I HAVE—LEFT TO ME—I CaNNoT—I— Mr. Hathaway: OW, BUT, DARLING, I'D HAVE MINE CHANGED AND YOU COULD KEEP IT—EASY ENOVOIL —THERE—THERE—WHY, CERTAINLY ! “A POINT TO BE REMEM- BERED.” MONDAY MORNING. RS. Y.: What is + all that noise down stairs? Mrs. X.: guess ? Mrs. Y.: like Bridget and Jane quarreling about washing. Mrs. X.: That's it; they're holding one of their regular causeries de Lundi, Can't you T the present writing three hundred and ninety-nine different persons have sent the following brilliant play upon words for publication in Lire. “ How was a recent aristocratic marriage brought about?” “Why, stupid, Jack Astor and she was Willing.” Probably the same brilliant jest has by this time occurred to the remaining member of the foar hundred and will reach us in the next mail. It isn’t very often that a joke per- meates to the four hundred, but when it does Lire has to suffer. A NATURAL CONCLUSION. USTOMER: I bought some medicine here yesterday for my dog and after I gave it to him he died. What do you mean, anyway? I didn’t tell you I wanted to kill him. DRuccist : You said he belonged to your wife. E: Chapley seems to me to be a man of one idea. SHE: He is more fortunate than I thought! Teacher; JOUNNY, WHY 18 GEORGE BROWN ABSENT? Johnny: WY, GEORGE BROWN SAYS HIS SISTER'S GOT A COLE; BUT DAT AIN'T NOTHIN’, ONE O' MY SISTER'S 18 GOT DE SMALL-POx, AND TOTHER ONE DE MEASLES, BUT I COME ALL THE SAME, It sounds the comicbooks.com