Life, 1892-09-08 · page 7 of 14
Life — September 8, 1892 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Talkative Girl" and "The Engaged Ones" This page contains two separate humorous sketches about courtship and relationships, typical of Life magazine's satirical social commentary. **"The Talkative Girl"** depicts a woman who talks constantly—about weather, theater, dresses, and her troubles—while a man sits passively listening. The satire targets the stereotype of chatty women and patient (or long-suffering) male suitors. **"The Engaged Ones"** shows a couple where the woman wants to climb a stone fence, but the man refuses, citing vague "reasons" and suggesting they go home instead. The humor lies in his mysterious reluctance and her casual dismissal of his concerns—satirizing the dynamics of engaged couples and conflicting desires in relationships. Both sketches employ period stereotypes about gender roles and courtship behavior for comedic effect.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
: ARE YOU SURE YOU DIDN'T LOSE THAT LETTER I GAVE YOU TO MAIL LAST WEEK? : Yes. I KNEW YOU'D THINK SO, AND I'VE KEPT IT IN MY POCKET TO PROTECT MYSELF. THE TALKATIVE GIRL. HE talks about the weather and she archly wonders whether it will rain when to the theatre she will go next week with me. She says that she’s been painting— feels quite weak, almost to faint- ing, but her tongue keeps right on moving just as lively as can be. She asks if I'm a dancer—never stops to get an answer, but she tells me all excitement what exquisite times she had. Asks me what I know of dresses, and in confidence confesses that the one she wore last evening was a fright and made her sad. With nods she fairly bubbles, tells me all her girlish troubles and her tongue keeps on a wagging with a never ceasing flow, And thus for hours I'm sitting with the golden minutes flitting, for she will not let me tell her that I think I'd better go. She: MILL, THE ENGAGED ONES. No! pirpy, No! Do NoT Ask YOUR OWN PETSY WETSY TO CLIMB OVER THIS STONE FENCE, I WAVE MY REASONS, BIRDY ! LET US GO HOME BY THE comicbooks.com