Life, 1893-01-05 · page 29 of 60
Life — January 5, 1893 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features F.P.W. Bellew's satirical content centered on a portrait photograph (identity unclear from the image alone) surrounded by humorous illustrations. **"Poetic Justice"** is a limerick-style poem mocking a female doctor who owned a profane parrot. Unable to control the bird's obscene language, she gives it to a Colonel known for similar crude speech. The joke: the foul-mouthed parrot and the vulgar officer are perfectly matched—"poetic justice" pairs like with like. The surrounding cartoons appear to depict everyday scenes: children playing, domestic life, and crowds. Smaller illustrations labeled "The Skippers' Home" and "Marked Down" offer additional satirical commentary, though their specific targets are unclear without additional context. The overall tone is lighthearted social satire typical of early 20th-century Life magazine humor, poking fun at human behavior rather than specific political figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
F, P. W. BELLEW. POETIC JUSTICE. E once knew a young female Dr. Who had a bad parrot that Mr., He would also blaspheme, Using language extreme, And in various other ways shr. So she gave him away to a Col.; Who was noted for sayings infol., ‘These two became friends, Lived in peace till their ends, oN THE SKIPPERS’ HOME. ‘Then passed on to their roasting etol. “MARKED DOWN. comicbooks.com