Life, 1892-12-15 · page 6 of 16
Life — December 15, 1892 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Lovestick Scarecrow" - Life Magazine Page 346 **The Poem:** Oliver Herford's romantic verse tells of a scarecrow who falls in love with a crow, creating an impossible romance. The scarecrow must choose between his duty (scaring crows) and his passion, ultimately accepting the "cruelty of fate." **The Political Section:** Below discusses the principle *de mortuis nil nisi bonum* (speak no ill of the dead). It criticizes Jay Gould's corruption—specifically his bribery of judges and attacks on government integrity regarding money-getting schemes. The text argues that exposing such villainy is necessary in a republic, despite the maxim against speaking ill of the deceased. **The Cartoon:** A small illustration shows an artist joking with a client about humor in art—likely satirizing pretentious artistic claims.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A SCARECROW in a field of cor, A thing of tatters all forlorn, Once felt the influence of Spring And fell in love—a foolish thing. And most particularly so In his case—for he loved a crow ! * Alack a day ! it’s wrong I know, It's wrong for me to love a crow, An all-wise man created me To seare the crows away,” cried he, And though the music of her ‘* Caw Thrills through and through this heart of straw. ** My passion I must put away And do my duty come what may ! Yet, oh, the cruelty of fate ! T fear she doth reciprocate My love, for oft at dusk I hear Her in my cornfield hovering near. And once I dreamt—Oh, vision blest, That she alighted on my breast. "Tis very, very hard I know, But all-wise man decreed it so,” He cried and flung his arms in air, ‘The very picture of despair. * * * * Poor Scarecrow, if he could but know Zven now his lady-love, the Crow, Sits in a branch, just out of sight, With her good husband, waiting night To pluck from out his sleeping breast His heart of straw to line her nest. Oliver Her ford. HE principle de morturs nil nist bonum is one which Americans applaud, and gen- erally practice, but it is one that may bring dan- gers in its suit. To have the evil that Jay Gould has done glossed over with silence, and only the small proportion of good held up to public no- tice, is to promise to the youth of this country that they may make their lives what they please, ‘| without reproach to the names they leave. In “| a republic, where the virtue of the individual is the bulwark of the state, it is especially \ important that lives which sin against the “SS people shall be held up to execration. In Jay Gould's passion for money-getting he attacked our system of government in its most vital spot. To further his unlawful schemes he did not 4 stay wito CAN'T SEE THE HUMOR IN THAT hesitate to tempt judges with his bribes, and to Is TO BE PiTIED, Artist; NOW, THAT 18 WHAT I CALL FUNNY. comicbooks.com