Life, 1893-05-25 · page 11 of 14
Life — May 25, 1893 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains two satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **"Discriminating Grief"** (top illustration): A widow receives condolences about her husband's death, but the joke reveals he had a second wife in Chicago. The satire mocks the widow's selective mourning—she's upset about his death while conveniently ignoring his bigamy. This reflects early 20th-century social commentary on infidelity and hypocrisy in mourning rituals. **"All's Game" and "It May Come to That"** (text sections below): These appear to be brief comedic dialogues poking fun at Americans' tendency to joke about serious matters, and a hypothetical scenario about succession in an imperial court involving "Dick Croker" (likely a political figure). The humor targets American irreverence and political corruption. The cartoons use exaggeration and dark humor typical of *Life's* satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
DISCRIMINATING GRIEF. He; A Wipow?) WHEN DID HER HUSBAND DIE? She: LAST WEEK. He: BUT SHE 1S IN HALF-MOURNING. She: YES; IT HAS COME TO LIGHT THAT HE HAD ANOTHER WIFE IN CHICAGO, ALL’S GAME. ORD ST. AGNANT: The trouble with you Ameri- cans is that you will joke about things from which humor is entirely absent. SALLIE DE Wirre: Even about Englishmen. IT MAY COME TO THAT. OOL: Now, supposing you were in Emperor Will- iam’s place, what would you do? VAN PELT: (wéthout hesitation): Send immediately for Dick Croker. comicbooks.com