Life, 1892-07-07 · page 10 of 14
Life — July 7, 1892 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 10 This page contains three satirical pieces targeting early 20th-century American social attitudes: **Top section**: A dialogue mocking an upper-class man who invited a poor ancestor's ghost to his home to establish respectability. The satire criticizes social climbing and pretense. **"A Parable"** (by Judith Spencer): A poem about horses grazing in Paradise, interrupted by a stage-coach phantom demanding higher "earthly woe." The satire appears to critique materialism and discontent with one's station. **"A Better Trade"**: A humorous anecdote about "John," a boot-black recently returned from Italy, who extracted money from the narrator by flattering his "intellectual development." The piece satirizes both the working-class character's cunning and the narrator's vanity—mocking how easily wealthy people's egos make them vulnerable to manipulation. The overall theme targets class pretensions and self-deception.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ What did you do that for; why didn’t you stay there?" “ Me lika-a this countra better.” “Well, that’s patriotic, anyway. Isuppose you're an American; do you vote?” “Not-a now; me get-a civilized ‘fore next-a ‘lection.” “Oh, of course you have to be ( ‘civilized’ before you can vote; 4 . a except in ‘de Ate.’ But did you ae —— zs have a good time and spend all those nickels and dimes I've been “MONTGOMERY, WHAT {8 THAT SPECTRAL FIGURE ?” giving you?” “Do NOT BE ALARMED EMILY, I WAS DETERMINED THAT WHEN WE BEGAN OUR MARRIED “No, not spend-a all; no got LIFE OUR NE e AS THOROUGHLY ENGLISH AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE broke.a, but—” and his chest NDUCE e Eart. or Hoty VHOSE ESTATE IS SERIOUSLY EMBARRASSED, TO PART : A EARL OF DENTMOOR, AND FOREVER AFTER HIS DEATH WALKED UP AND DOWN THE AVES knows he has cause for pride but OF POPLARS, NEAR THE C. THE POPLARS I HAVE SET OUT ARE NOT FULLY GROWN, AND Strives to conceal it— “It cost-a Lorp Guy 18 NoT THOROUGHLY Acct! eb, BUT O! EMILY, I FEEL THAT OUR POSITION IN me two hundred dollars.” SOCIETY Is ASSURED!” “Did that include all your ex- — = - = = penses ?” A PARABLE. “Yes, all-a.”" OW just without the gates of Paradise “Now, I suppose you'll write a book about your A green field lies, mid groves and streams. Inthis travels?” I asked, as he rose to go. The shades of horses worn in service here “No; me no write a book,” he replied scornfully ; Do graze in peace, and drink the waters clear, “make-a more money by black-a de boots.” In state of equine bliss. “John,” said 1; ‘You have a remarkable intellectual development for a man in your station of life. How much did that kit of yours cost? By Jove, I'll buy one myself!" As once Saint Peter barred a spirit’s way— (Conscience-accused of many kinds of sin), Out spake a stage-horse phantom, “ This man, lo, Walked, rather than increase my earthly woe !"* Then cried the Saint, * Come in!” : Se Judith Spencer. Harry Romaine, A BETTER TRADE. £7 OHN," the boot-black who has imparted a very conbider- able amount of polish to my appearance for the last few years, has just returned from a six months’ visit to his native land, Whether he spent the long days of the soft Italian winter on the sunny slopes of the Riviera, or lounging under the olive trees on his paternal estate, or energetically “ promoting" a macaroni trust on the American plan, I have no means of knowing. But I was very glad to welcome him back, and to find that he was not above speaking to his old friends. No one else guides the swiftly flying brushes as lightly over my pet corns as he does. Still, I thought a little bitterly, as he came into the office to-day, of the claborate vacation he had been enjoying on the insignificant little coins I was in the habit of dealing out to him, while I plodded along at the same old desk, without change or respite, He seemed to be able to extract more fun out of nickels than I could out of dollars. “Well, John, "1 said, as I planted my foot upon the box he 74. org Chimpanzee: THERE, THERE, placed in front of me; “so you came back, after all.” FRIGHTENED. THAT JUST SHOWS YOU WHAT W! “Oh, yes, me come-a back.” EVOLUTING INTO. comicbooks.com