Life, 1893-04-13 · page 6 of 18
Life — April 13, 1893 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 236 This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: 1. **"Fin de Siècle Fun"** (poem): A nostalgic critique of a gentleman clinging to outdated "old school" values and fashions while the modern world has moved on. The satire mocks his resistance to change and contemporary standards. 2. **"The Brute!"** (cartoon with dialogue): A domestic humor piece where a woman complains her fiancé writes infrequently—only one letter daily. The satire targets the absurdity of her complaint; she's actually receiving substantial correspondence, yet frames it as neglect. 3. **"A Proper Young Man"** and **"How Punch Is Made"**: Brief humorous dialogues about courtship propriety and London cab riding experiences, using light social satire typical of the era's humor magazine format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
236 \ FIN DE SIECLE FUN. FINE old gentleman !° sort— —you know the With courtly air and consequential port : In dress fastidious to the last degree, But favoring styles of some past century ; One to whom all the past might hold was sweet, Old saws, old jokes—he lived on Chestnut Street— All things to bygone standards he referred, And “the old school” was his familiar word. He loved to gibe at ** this degenerate age,” Firing some special volleys at our stage, Citing the Elder Booth, Macready, Kean, With lesser lights his favored eyes had seen. Thus at his club—the oldest in the town— Life's daily doings met his nightly frown, Until his friends, as low their patience ran, Resolved to trap the ‘‘fine old gentleman,” So on a night when he was at his worst And the whole modern universe accursed, When dinner, served as olden times approved, Was under way, the soup but just removed— A well-instructed steward brought the fish ; The ** fine old gentleman " essayed the dish, ‘Then, all disgust, at cook and waiter both He fiercely launched a fine old-fashioned oath. Whereat the servant, bowing humbly, said— “The dish for your especial taste was made, For''—with a wink at those who chose him tool— ** That mackerel, sir, was one of * the olf school.” Yn fg “HE WAS STRUCK BY THE CHILD'S PECULIAR HEAD.” eS Ce at aw Coo Sn oo THE BRUTE! “DOES HE WRITE TO YOU REGULARLY SINCE YOU BECAME ENGAGED ?” “No, Sometimes | ONLY GET ONE LETTER A DAY.” A PROPER YOUNG MAN, ATERFAMILIAS: Young man, the time has come when I must demand an explanation: Why do you pay such attention to my daughter without asking my approval ? You MAN: [thought it would be cheeky, you see, to ask your approval when we've been secretly married a year. HOW PUNCH IS MADE. £© DQURNAND,” said Gilbert, “don't you ever get nervous when you are tiding in one of those rattlety-bang London hacks >" “No,” replied Burnand, with a wink at Du Maurier. insured against hacksident.” Then Du Maurier went home and made a picture of the incident. “T always am comicbooks.com