Life, 1893-02-23 · page 3 of 16
Life — February 23, 1893 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page This page features "A Musical Lecture" satirizing a fastidious classical musician, Montague Myerbeer Mendelsohn Green, who claims cats' music causes him physical pain—yet he admits he removes his hat respectfully when encountering felines. The joke critiques this contradiction: he finds their concerts unbearable but treats them with deference. The accompanying illustrations show anthropomorphized cats performing music (violin, cello) alongside the musician's conflicted behavior. Below are unrelated brief items: a Henderson/Williamson joke about horse trading, a "Family Vault" cartoon showing acrobatic figures, and a notice about the Republican Party seeking New York City headquarters. The satire targets pretentious musical snobbery and hypocritical politeness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NUMBER 530. HE politest musician that ever was seen Was Montague Myerbeer Mendelssohn Green, So extremely polite he would take off his hat Whenever he happened to meet with a cat. ** It’s not that I'm partial to cats,” he'd exclaim ; “Their music to me is unspeakable pain. There's nothing that causes my flesh so to crawl As when they perform a G flat caterwaul. Yet I cannot help feeling—in spite of their din— When I hear at a concert the first violin Interpret some exquisite thing of my own, If it were not for cat gut I'd never be known, And so, when I bow as you see to a cat, It isn’t to Aer that I take off my hat ; But to fugues and sonatas that possibly hide Uncomposed in her—well—in her tuneful inside!" Oliver Herford. ehege> NDERSON: Blowhard used to think he knew every- thing. WILLIAMSON: That was before he traded horses. ee AN EXCEPTION. NOOPER: There is nothing perfect on this earth. SwayBack: You forget Gilley. “ What about Gilley?” “ He’s a perfect ass.” eee HE Republican Party is looking for permanent head- “ . quarters in New York City. 2 : . Landladies with desirable hall bed-rooms to let should A FAMILY VAULT. communicate with the committee.