Life, 1892-07-14 · page 5 of 14
Life — July 14, 1892 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 19 This page contains several humor pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine: **"To Float Alone"** is a sentimental poem by J. T. Newcomb about solitary boating, contrasting peaceful solitude with life's hardships. **"Time to Leave"** is a brief joke about Mr. Bangle overstaying his visit—Mrs. Witherby remarks he stayed because he "held four aces" (a poker reference), implying he was winning at cards. **"An Elephant on His Hands"** is a visual pun showing a small figure struggling with an elephant, illustrating the phrase about being burdened with an impossible problem. **The main illustration** depicts a crowded rooftop garden scene at Madison Square, with dialogue suggesting someone has abandoned acting for a safer profession, humorously contrasting theatrical life with mundane practicality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Girls: WELL, HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND YET? Cholly : NO; COULDN'T FIND THE BLASTED THING, YoU KNOW. TO FLOAT ALONE. ‘O float alone adown the stream, When rays of moonlight silver gleam On paddle-blade, and glance and play, And light a path far down the bay ; This is a pleasure fair, I deem. " To slip along and idly dream On things that are and things that seem ; Full often would I steal away To float alone. But when my fortunes ill beseem And falls on me the colder beam Of bills long due, that I must pay, Then I must either steal away, Or float a loan, J. T. Newcomb. TIME TO LEAVE. RS. WITHERBY: How long did Mr. Bangle stay the night that I wasn’t home ? WITHERBY: Until half-past ten. Mrs, WITHERBY: Half-past ten! Why didn’t he stay longer ? WITHERBY: Because I held four aces, ‘AN ELEPHANT ON HIS HANDS,” OVERHEARD AT THE MADISON SQUARE ROOF GARDEN. She: Do YOU MEAN TO SAY YOU HAVE GIVEN UP ACTING AND BECOME A PRESTIDIGITATEUR ? He: Yes, It’s MUCH SAFER, IF I EVER GET STRANDED IN A WESTERN TOWN I SHALL KNOW HOW TO TAKE TWO BOILED EGOS OUT OF A SILK HAt. comicbooks.com