Life, 1891-07-30 · page 5 of 14
Life — July 30, 1891 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 47 **The Cartoon:** The illustration depicts a formal social gathering where a well-dressed man stands confronted by his wife and her companions. The caption reads: "What did you mean by writing a love letter to my wife, sir?" with his response: "Why shouldn't I? She's never broken off her engagement with me yet." **The Satire:** This is a social comedy about marital infidelity and broken engagement promises. The joke plays on the absurdity of the man's defense—he claims the woman was still technically engaged to him despite being married. It satirizes both romantic scandal and the formal etiquette violations of the era, where writing love letters to another man's wife represented a serious breach of social propriety. The gathered onlookers suggest public embarrassment of this private transgression.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY WRITING A LOVE LETTER TO MY WIFE, SIR?” “Why snoutpn't 1?) Su HOW HE DID IT. S€TARLING,” he murmured, “do you remember the night I left you six years ago, vowing that I would not look you in the face again until I counted myself worthy ? To-night, my queen, I am a rich man. Tell me again that you do indeed love me.” “I do,” she answered, as she lay back in his strong arms and sighed as she thought of the long, weary years she had waited for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to open on Sunday. “ But tell me, dear, how you made your fortune.” “That is easily done,” he replied gaily. “After I left the BROKEN OFF HER ENGAGEMENT WITH ME YET." house that night I hastily entered a cab, but had not driven a block when the driver fell off the box in an apoplectic fit.” “And then?" she questioned anxiously. “And then,” he went on, an exultant ring in his voice, “I took his place.” I ONG: [know an artist who painted a runaway horse. —~ It was so natural that the beholders jumped out of the way. DOWNING: trait of a lady that was so natural that he had to sue her for his bill. Humph! My friend McGilp painted a por- comicbooks.com