Life, 1892-10-20 · page 7 of 16
Life — October 20, 1892 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis: Life Magazine, Page 219 **Main Content:** The page features "The Last Waltz," a romantic poem by Johanna Staats accompanying a photograph of couples dancing. Below is a humorous dialogue titled "A Question of Probability" involving three men (Mr. X, Mr. Y, and Mr. X again) discussing where to obtain cheap hats and betting on a political election concerning Cleveland. The joke concludes absurdly: a fisherman who caught nothing is suddenly transported away "with George Washington" via a "chariot of fire from out of the heavens"—an inexplicable, surreal punchline typical of Life's absurdist humor. **Small Illustrations:** Three captioned drawings appear on the right: "Racing Terms" (a duck), "Laying Odds" (unclear figure), and "A Poor Finish" (a dog). The satire's precise political reference remains unclear without additional context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
219 THE LAST WALTZ. HAT though the tapers flare ! What though the music swoon! In this last waltz we fly Down the long room. Lightly as thistle blooms Blown by the wings of noon, Only the sweeter ‘tis That it ends soon. Crushed are the roses pale Your throbbing heart o'er, Yet—they too had their hour— Could they hope more? And I—I forget all The morrow brings me, And that on that morrow Strangers we'll be. For—in your witching, Your moods—and your charms— While the waltz music lasts, You scorn not my arms. Johanna Staats, RACING TERMS. THE END OF A SUMMER ROMANCE. A QUESTION OF PROBABILITY. M*® : I'll have to get a new silk hat; this one has served its time. Mr. Y.: I know where you can get one cheap; old Simmes wants to bet a hat on the election, Mr. X.: Which way does he want to bet? Mr. Y.: He wants to bet on Cleveland. Mr. X.: I know where I can get a hat cheaper than that. “N°? I didn’t catch anything all day,” said the fisherman; “didn’t even get a bite. I But at this moment a chariot of fire descended from out of the heavens, and he was borne away to dwell forever with George Washington. A POOR FINISH. comicbooks.com