Life, 1891-07-30 · page 3 of 14
Life — July 30, 1891 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# LIFE Magazine, Volume XVIII, Number 448 The main cartoon depicts a couple on a moonlit terrace—a romantic scene with dialogue indicating the man is quoting poetry ("How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank") while the woman finds the setting pleasant. The joke appears to be about the man's pretentiousness: he's reciting Shakespeare to impress her, yet she's simply enjoying the natural beauty without need for literary flourishes. Below are humorous short verses and quips, including one about a man with "bandy legs" needing music, and advertisements (a horse for sale, advice about watermelon consumption). The content reflects turn-of-the-century genteel humor and domestic satire typical of Life magazine's approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XVIII. Mr. S. (long sitter): V0'S DELIGHTFUL ON THIS TERRACE, HERE, TO-NIGHT, SO MUCH PLEASANTER THAN THE DRAWING-ROOM. _ S. (waxing poetical): HOW SWEET THE MOONLIGHT SLEEPS UPON THIS BANK ! She: Y¥S, BUT I'M NOT SURPRISED—THE MOON WAS RISING WHEN YOU CAME, YOU REMEMBER, AND IT'S BEEN UP A LONG TIME THOSE RELIABLE HORSE ADVERTISE- O wonder the man with bandy legs should have music wherever he goes. HARD LINES. BOAT, A man, A girl, A squall. No boat, No man, No girl, That's all. C.H.P. HE bed of the river should be covered with wind- ing-sheets, A WELL BROKEN AND GENTLE SADDLE HORSE, SOLD FOR WANT OF USE, E good and you will be happy, VERY dog has his day, but it is a mean and su? generis, cur that will bark at night. EATING WATERMELON THROUGH A STRAW MAY BE SLOW, HUT THEN IT HAS THIS ADVANTAGE—IT 1S NOT LIABLE TO EX- CITE UNPLEASANT SUSPICIONS, comicbooks.com