Life, 1891-07-23 · page 3 of 14
Life — July 23, 1891 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, Volume XVIII, Number 447 This page contains humorous sketches and dialogues typical of early 20th-century satirical magazines. **"The Syntax Perfect"** mocks a woman named Clarissa whose grammatically correct but pedantic speech annoys others—satire on overly proper language use. **"Does Confidence Beget Confidence?"** shows a legal exchange where a young client refuses to trust his lawyer friend Harding with funds, citing past money losses—humor about misplaced confidence in professional relationships. **"Jersey—11 P.M."** depicts a domestic dispute where a husband (Mr. H) refuses to let his wife put her shoulder against railway bandits in a railway carriage, claiming "there is one of those railway bandits in the room"—absurdist humor playing on marital dynamics and exaggerated safety concerns. The final sketch appears to involve flirtation and romantic misunderstandings, typical comedic fare for the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NUMBER 447. THE SYNTAX PERFECT. LOVE to hear Clarissa talk ; It always makes me glad ; Though entre nous, | must confess, Her grammar’s very bad. But there’s one way she speaks to me, That none can criticise ; She never makes the least mistake, When talking with her eyes. DOES CONFIDENCE BEGET CONFIDENCE? Why don’t you ask your friend Harding to act as trustee of I have no confidence He has often loaned Jo: Wuat a ciassic cut! Jim (whom she just snubbed): UM—VES ; REGULAR PARTHENON FREEZE Why do you run away and leave Mr. Winkle ? SHE: Because he’s too stingy and mean. Why, he won't even laugh at his own expense ! ablication et Sto sy af y illustrated p emat aa 9 He: (TAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS 1S TO KE MERELY A sus JERSEY—-11 P. M. MER FLIRTATIC your 84 Mrs. H (from under the screen): ARE YOU AWAKE, EDWARD? She: OF course. $2co a month. - Ur. H: Ves, DEAR. He: ENERYTHING 15 TO BE RETURNED WHEN WE BREAK? ‘ise paper € Mrs. Hs \Wox'T YOU PUT YOUR SHOULDER AGAINST THE She: EVERTHING. PORTCULLIS, THERE 18 ONE OF THOSE RANWAY BANDITS IY THE He: Good, 1 THINK WE MAY WITH SAFETY TAKE A MOON- KOON, an have i € LIGHT STROLL, WILL YOU TAKE MY ARM? the spact) cost you ¢ we furnish c of our rept comicbooks.com