Life, 1892-02-11 · page 14 of 22
Life — February 11, 1892 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces mocking upper-class pretension and marital dynamics: **"Penelope Discusseth the Stage"** ridicules a wealthy young woman's naive assumptions about theatrical careers. Penelope casually claims entering theater is "easy," then reveals her actual plan: use family money ($30-40k) to hire a famous manager, secure handsome leading men like Barrymore, and upstage Sarah Bernhardt. The satire targets her obliviousness—she thinks money and connections equal talent. **"The Difference"** is a brief joke about social status: the "distinguished looking lady" is actually someone's *wife*, while the "distinguished looking man" is identified by his *husband*—implying women gain status through marriage while men lose it. **"Here's a Letter from Poor Carrie"** satirizes marital infidelity: Carrie's husband unknowingly planned to elope with the governess while Carrie planned to elope with his secretary. They "eloped with each other" instead—a darkly comic resolution where mutual betrayal leads to mutual departure. All three pieces mock wealthy society's superficiality and moral emptiness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
30 PENELOPE DISCUSSETH THE STAGE. * said Daisy Tolliver, one inorning after they had become tired of talking about their fiancés and their dresses, ‘do you The girls all think Pen a walking «pe think it's easy to get on the stage?” encyclopedia, you kno’ “Of course it is,” replied Pen with a contemptuous sniff. ‘If Jack ever dies and papa fails and mamma loses her money, I'm going on the stage myself, some day. It’s easy enough.” ** How would you go about it, Pen?” continued the interested Daisy. “Well, the first thing to do is to get the money. Of course Uncle Tom or Aunt Hattie would get that for me. I don’t suppose it would take much, not over thirty or forty thousand dollars, for you see all the people who come to see the play have to pay so much and that helps out on the expenses, Then, the next most important thing is to get a manager,” “+ What do you have to have a manager for?” THE DIFFERENCE, “So THAT DISTINGU! LADY 18 YOUR WIF “No, ['M THAT DISTINGUISHED LOOK- ING LADY'S HUSBAND.” SHED LOOKING *LIFE-: “Why, he takes care of the money aud sees that you don't get cheated, and gets you talked about in the clubs, and the papers, and all that sort of thing. ©, he's more necessary than the money. It's awfully hard to get a manager, but if you have money enough you usually can, Then you choose what plays you want tc lay in, I would prefer to play in such plays as Kernhardt does myself, because then if you succeed you're much greater than if you play in the other kinds of plays. Then you choose your company, or the manager does it for you, only I should insist on choosing my own leading man, for would want him to be very handsome. 1 would choose Mr. Barry- more or Mr. Kekey, myself, and the manager would have to get them for me or I would get into a rage.” + 0-0-0-0-0," said the now thoroughly delighted Daisy, ** wouldn't it be splendid, wouldn't it. How I should envy you!” “ Well, that would be all that there was to it except to learn the parts, and that would be easy enough, Of course I wouldn't do them just exactly as Bernhardt does, for | would want to show the critics en te ae si Cina? “HERE'S A LETTER FROM POOR CaRKIE. EITHER CAN GET 1 THE MATTER?" UNKNOWN TO HER, WAS ANOUT TO ELOPE wiTH TH TO HIM, WAS ABOUT TO ELOPE WITH HIS SECRETAK AND ELOPED WITH EACH OTHER.” DIVORCE AND “Wuat's SA MAN WITHA PULL.” SHE AND HER HUSBAND ROTH WANT A S, JUST AS SHE, MET IN THE DARK comicbooks.com