Life, 1891-12-31 · page 6 of 53
Life — December 31, 1891 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "The Faithful Sisters" (Life Magazine, Page 390) The cartoon depicts a romantic scenario where a man proposes to a woman in an ornate interior setting, with her two sisters present. The dialogue reveals the joke's point: the woman declines marriage, saying she cannot leave her sisters alone. When the man later proposes to one sister, she gives the identical refusal. When he proposes to the second sister, she echoes the same excuse—revealing the sisters' coordinated deception. The satire mocks women who use familial obligation as a pretense to avoid marriage commitments they don't genuinely want. The "faithful sisters" aren't loyal to each other but rather united in rejecting this persistent suitor through a rehearsed excuse. It's a commentary on courtship games and insincere romantic refusals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHY NOT ON ONE AS WELL AS THE An ingenious device invented by a horse for adding to the comfort and beauty of man while exercising. WHAT IT COSTS TO RIDE IN A FIFTH AVENUE STAGE. TIVE cents Partial deaf- ness. Outraged feel- ings. Physical discom- fort. Crushed toes— from one to ten, according to the roughness of the passage. One injured hat. Risk of personal injury. The certainty of being a nuisance to others. Possible — disfig- urement for life. Suppressed pro- fanity. Mutilated fingers in getting in. Bro- ken nose in getting out, Disgust with yourself for having THE FAITHFUL SISTERS. Shes (-I-TMINK T Like vou, Mk, TROTTER, BUT 1 CANNOT MARRY AND LEAVE MY TWIN SISTER ALONE. WAUT UNTIL SHE IS ENGAGED, > r He: Ves—bOT—ER—THAT'S JUST WHAT SHE SAID WHEN | PROPOSED TO ER tried it again. comicbooks.com