Life, 1893-08-24 · page 10 of 16
Life — August 24, 1893 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of LIFE Magazine Page 122 This page contains three distinct humor pieces: **"The Effect of Culture"** (top cartoon): A street scene satirizing class pretension. Two girls comment on "Sally Waters," mocking her affected manners and pretensions to sophistication despite her working-class origins ("puttin' on airs"). **"A Great Misfortune"** (left): A dialogue between a man and woman about an opal engagement ring. She questions the stone's authenticity; he defends it while she suggests they're "wiser now." The satire targets romantic disillusionment and materialistic concerns in relationships. **"He Didn't Believe In It"** (right): A conversation between Cleverton and Dashaway about kissing Miss Penstock. The humor derives from Cleverton's reluctant confession that he kissed her, presented with comedic evasion typical of Victorian-era propriety humor. The centered illustration labeled **"Waist Sot, Waist Sot"** shows a woman in an exaggerated corset, likely satirizing fashion extremes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
First Girl on Left: Wo 1s sHe? Second Girl: Swt's SALLY WATERS, BUT SHE AIN'T NO BETTER NOR NONE OF US; TOOKIN’ PANCIN’ LESSONS ! THE EFFECT OF CULTURE. SHE'S A PUTTIN’ ON AIRS 'CAUSE SHE'S A GREAT MISFORTUNE. E (taking her hand): That stone, you know, is not the thing To wear in an engagement ring. : The opal ? Yes, ill-luck they claim Is centered in its baleful flame. Mere superstition !_ In these days— We quite forget the ancient ways. And rightly too, We're wiser now. Perhaps ! Oh, surely ! You'll allow at Science limits her domain To study of the human bra’ And cannot hope to reach the heart. That ring has brought you from the start Bad luck— But how ? I'm happy still ! And yet—you are engaged to Will ! And but for that same ring, you see, You might have been—engaged tome! Harry Romaine, EMEMBERED—A man with a cork leg. “WAIST NOT, WANT NOT.” HE DIDN’T BELIEVE IN IT. C' VERTON: I had a great piece of luck last night. HAWAY: Did you? What CLEVERTON : Well, I'll tell you, but, old man, I wouldn't tell it to ever one. You know Miss Penstock ? DasHaway : Of course. CLEVERTON : Well, I dropped in there last evening and was lucky enough to find her alone. 1 don't know, I guess perhaps I would better not tell you, DASHAWAY : Oh, go on, give it away CLEVE! I wouldn't give her away to everyone, but you are my most intimate friend. The fact is, old chap, I kissed her. DASHAWAY : Did, eh? More than once ? CLEVERTON : Well, of course, old fellow I—— DasHaway: Oh, of course. I see. Now, I am not saying anything against I won't comicbooks.com