Life, 1893-09-14 · page 5 of 18
Life — September 14, 1893 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers The top cartoon depicts a dialogue between two West Point cadets and a Vassar girl about mathematics. The cadets claim a point "has position but occupies no space," while Mrs. Parvenue "occupies space but has no position"—a sexist joke equating social status with mathematical properties. Below, "A Fair Equivalent" is a poem by R.H. Titterington contrasting material luxuries with simple domestic happiness, likely satirizing wealthy materialism. The final section shows a conversation between Cooney Dreistein and Mr. Schlechtenheimer about insurance stocks. Dreistein boasts of being insured for "twenty thousand dollars" after a store fire, implying either fraud or opportunistic profiteering—satirizing get-rich-quick schemes and questionable business practices of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Vassar Girl: The West Point Cadet: The Vassar Girl; WELL, A POINT IS THAT WHICH HAS POSITION BUT OCCUPIES NO SPACE, AND MRS, PARVENUE OCCUPIES SPACE BUT HAS NO POSITION. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MRS. PARVENUE AND A POINT? I HATE MATHEMATICS, AND I GIVE IT UP, A FAIR EQUIVALENT. O gems have I, no armor old, No chased nor carven treasures, No spacious chambers, white and gold, Wherein to take my pleasures ; Upon my walls no fabric rare Of Persia's broidered dragons ; No cabinets of Dresden ware, Or medizxval flagons. But see, my Phyllis’ golden hair Falls o'er her simple bodice— For household gods what need I care, With such a household goddess ? RH. Titherington. OONEY DREISTEIN: Don'd you own a lot of stock in dot North Greenwich Insurance Combany ? MR, SCHLECTENHEIMER: Yes, vhy? CooNEY DREISTEIN: Den you petter sells oud. I'm insured in dot combany for dwendy dousand tollars, unt I've had a tream dot mine store purns down “HELD ON A SERIOUS CHARGE.” nexd veek, comicbooks.com