Life, 1891-08-27 · page 12 of 14
Life — August 27, 1891 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 110 **Main Content: "Penelope's Ingenuity"** This satirical story depicts a young woman manipulating her father into buying her an expensive diamond ring by pretending to abandon romantic interests. Penelope feigns engagement ambitions to her disapproving father, who offers her a solitaire ring in exchange for promising to give up thoughts of a young man. The joke is that she accepts the bribe with no intention of keeping her promise—she immediately plans to tell "the other girls" about her scheme. The satire targets both paternal control over daughters' romantic lives and young women's cunning ways of circumventing that control. **Secondary Cartoons:** "An Unresponsive Flower Pot" appears to mock social awkwardness—a nearsighted woman complains about a neighbor (Robinson) ignoring her. The lower street scene depicts a con artist's pitch, using exaggerated language and a fabricated story about a hungry brother to solicit money. "Old Friends" and "Taking in the Sights" are poetry and illustrations with no clear satirical target.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: INGENUITY, nly from the piano, y blush playing on her cheeks, “do you young to be e—e—engayed ?” “OF course I do,” growled her father the world has put the idea of marri What's his name ?” + O he hasn't asked me yet, but—well, you know.” “Yes, E know all about it, and 1 warm him that he'll know more about it if he comes fool Now, what do you want to think about such a thing as that for, Nellie? Haven't you the best home in the world ?”* PENELOPE'S now, who in to your head. around you any more. “O yes, papa; but it would be awfully nice to be en- gaged, I think.” How nice ? “O nice to have a young man coming to see you every evening — “Hump ! every ever “And ring—" “Haven't you enough rings 2 “Well, [haven't a solit oP I'd like to catch him coming to see you would be nice to have a pretty diamond ire.” said her father, seriousl: faith en fT buy you a solitaire ring will you promise y to give up all nts of this young man ?” Yes, papa ++ Very well, then; remember your promise, You shall to-morrow, although it’s a sad piece of extravagance,” groaned the king painfully out of the room. ‘enelope to herself, as the sound of his retreating footsteps died y not be very smart, but I think that’s the easiest way to get a ve heard of yet. I must tell the other girls.” she answered. ." said P Tom Halt. “Tsay, CAN YOU CHANGE A FIFTY DOLLAR BILL FOR A POOR CHAP WHO'S HAD NOTHIN’ TO EAT ALL DAY? MY BIG BROTHER IS HUNT- IN’ "ROUND FOR CHANGE, TOO; MAYBE YOU SEEN HIM; HE'S A TALL FELLER AN’ CARRIES A GUN!” MISTER, Yinisiss <h AN UNRESPONSIVE FLOWER POT. Mamma (very near sighted): HAVE DONE TO OFFEND THE Ro TMave BEEN ROWING TO MR. ROBINSON FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND NE DOES NOT RETURN IT IN ANY Way, wr OLD FRIENDS. LD friends not too old For one, I do not seck Within my eager arms to fold, A form long since antique. Yet re best!" I want no painted Pompadour, Flirting at forty-three ; A friend of twenty-two or four, Is old enough for me. Harry Romaine. TAKING IN THE Stonrs. comicbooks.com