Life, 1891-03-26 · page 16 of 22
Life — March 26, 1891 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate humorous sketches satirizing early 20th-century social situations: **"An Unexpected Lockout"**: A confident hobo demands quick food from a homeowner ("dame"), but is rebuffed by the owner ("His Majesty"), who declares the vagrant "can't make a New York of this place"—suggesting fear that transients would disrupt orderly domestic life. **Burglar sketches**: Comic panels showing a burglar attempting break-ins, with captions about cutting shutters and pulling bolts—standard slapstick crime humor. **"A Duet"**: The longest piece satirizes overly sentimental romantic discourse. Two deceased spirits meet in the afterlife exchanging clichéd romantic laments and trivial small talk ("moonlight boat ride on the Styx"), mocking flowery Victorian sentiment and the banality of romantic conversation. References to classical figures (Charon, Dante, Petrarch, Milton) underscore the pretentiousness being ridiculed. The satire targets superficiality and affectation in social interaction across classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN UNEXPECTED LOCKOUT. G 51194 Hypyggwne eve fy |’so Ht GRADUATES ! av ret Dts Confident Traveler: SAV, DAME, JIST GIT ME SUTHIN' TER EAT AN? GIT IT QUICK. | SEE? His Majesty (on a morning walk about his premises): SO Me's GOT MERE AT Last! I EXPECTED AS MUCH, BUT HE MUST GO; HE CAN'T MAKE A NEW Yorx OF tis PLACE! A DUET. “Ee Shades met on the silver side of a cloud. Their voices were ] broken sadness in the universal chorus of Shades, . “Do you remember?” sang he, in a minor key, “Shall I ever forget?" wailed she, as she stubbed her toe against the ragged edge of the cloud. “He sighed retrospectively. Instinctively she essayed to assume a coquettish air. He pulled in an absent-minded way at the place where (As she pulls the shutter): “Tuer nore tum — his cuffs used to be. BURGLARS CUT IN THET SHUTTER COMES IN RIGHT “ By the way—I never told you that I loved you—did 1?” HARDY: “No; you never got as far as that.” A sigh. “You were so evasive!" “Was 1?" “Ahem! I wonder how it would seem to hold bands—in spirit!” “It would be a trifle—er—intangible—don’t you think ?” “And as for a spirit kiss "—— * Let's talk of something cheerful. Have you met the devil yet?” “Yes; Jones introduced us. He was always a particular friend of Jones. “T only knew him slightly.” “ By the way—have you an engagement for this evening? “No; none. You know I only came a day or so ago.” | “What do you say to a moonlight boat ride on the Styx?” “Should be charmed—but I didn’t bring my yachting cap—and—will there be a party?” “Oh,no! Only Charon. He's going over on business. Dante, Petrarch, and a lot of other swells give a bachelors’ dinner. He's going after some spice for the Lethe punch.” “ That's a very much overrated drink.” FRELLER'S CELL, NEITHER.” “Itis so, Milton himself rarely touches it.” TARTS. THE SHUTTER ON TI FER THE CONSTAR' comicbooks.com