Life, 1891-11-05 · page 13 of 18
Life — November 5, 1891 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"A Conversation in a Jewel Case"** depicts three of a woman's rings—Turquoise, Wedding, and Diamond—discussing her life stages. Each ring represents a different relationship phase: the turquoise from her carefree youth, the wedding ring from her happy marriage, and the diamond from a later affair. The rings are being removed tonight because she's getting divorced. The satire critiques how material possessions and romantic relationships define women's happiness and identity, with the rings serving as passive witnesses to her emotional trajectory. **"Among the Freaks"** is a brief joke about a "fat lady" and "wild man of Borneo"—common carnival/sideshow attractions—discussing travel. **"By Proxy"** shows a customer buying a parrot specifically to annoy his neighbor's concertina playing. The joke relies on the parrot's ability to mimic profanity loudly enough to disrupt the neighbor's music practice and the customer's sermon-writing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE- IN CENTRAL AFRICA, A CONVERSATION IN A JEWEL CASE. ‘THE TURQUOISE RING: She is asleep, is she not ? Tue Weppixe RING: Yes—by the way, Turq, why are we all taken off to-night ?- I don't understand it. Tne TurQuoIse: RING (meekly) : long time. She has not worn me for a long, (Meditatively) Ah, I remember the first time she put me on. She was a happy, laughing-eyed girl, then. How delighted she was. Her father bought me for her. It was on her birthday. She wore me for six years, and then one day a young man took me to Tiffany's, and when I came back she put me away and— Tur Diamoxp Rinc: And put me on instead. 1 remember the evening. She ran to the light to see me sparkle on her hand. She has never been as happy since that day as she was then. 265 Tue Wepoinc Rixc: Bah! She was thrice as happy the day she put me on for the first time. I remember it very well: the church, the flowers, the music, and her white dress. She was lovely. That was eight years ago. In truth she has never been as happy since as she was then. But what has she taken us off for to-night? It is the first time since I was put on her finger, and I did her a good service once. when that tall fellow with the black eyes- Tue Dtastonp RING: Yes, | remember. Tue Weppinc RinG: She got to the door with her things all on, and the carriage waiting, and the tall man standing by it, when she sud- denty held up her hand and looked at me. Then she burst into tears and ran back into the house. Tue Diamoxp RixG: Pshaw! You are sentimental. 1 wanted her to goon, They were going to travel in Europe and settle down finally in Italy, It would have been lots of fun for me. Tue Turquoise Rt But 1 was to have been left behind and would never have seen her again. Now it is my turn once more. ‘This afternoon she came to me and kissed me, and cried over me, and told me that to-morrow she would begin wearing me again, and that you two were to be taken off forever, It isa thing that they call divorce that has done it. I''m sure I don’t know what it is, but I'm very thank- ful for it. It was Tom Halt. AMONG THE FREAKS. id the fat lady to the wild “Ever been abroad To tell the truth, I ain't never been replied the wild man. SS [* very fond of travel man of Borneo. out o° New BY PROXY. Customer: DOkS THAT PARROT USE GuacE? Dealer: OM, No, S— The Parrot: You —~ —- — — x x —. Customer: Vit TAKE WM, MR. DEALER, You ske, 1 nave A NEIGHBOR WHO PLAYS ON THE CONCERTINA, AND IT ANNOYS ME GREATLY WHILE I'M WRITING MY SERMONS. ER—ER—PROFANE LAN- comicbooks.com