Life, 1893-09-21 · page 11 of 16
Life — September 21, 1893 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains theater criticism and satirical cartoons about poker terms. The upper section reviews "The Lion's Mouth," praising the acting while noting the dialogue is "wordy" but "scholarly." The actors Louis James and Warde are specifically commended. Below are two poker-themed cartoons labeled "Going Better" and "Flush." These appear to be visual puns on poker terminology applied to social situations—likely depicting men in various states of financial or social fortune. The cartoons use gambling slang as metaphors for everyday circumstances, a common satirical device of the era. An "Expensive Notice" section jokes about immigrants at Ellis Island needing signs in fourteen languages. The humor relies on knowledge of poker terminology and period social attitudes toward immigrants and gambling culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Hs: ANO YOU REALLY HAVE BEEN TRUE TO ME ALL THE Time I WAS IN THE CITY TOILING AT MY DESK ? She: 1 wave. He: 1 BELIEVE YOU, DARLING, FOR I HAVE SEEN THE HOTEL REGISTER, ANO NOT A SINGLE MAN HAS BEEN HERE SINCE YOU CAME. 187 one is apt to come away from the piece with rather a con- fused notion of what it is all about. The lion’s mouth, of course, plays an important part in harrowing up the char- acters of the drama, and gives opportunity for the strong acting without which no tragedy is a tragedy deserving of the name. The author's dialogue and the English in which it is couched sound stilted to ears which have grown accustomed only to local gags and the sentimental rubbish of the sloppy- weather school. After an act or two, one begins to realize that he is hearing a new thing—something that aspires to be literature. We do not think that “ The Lion's Mouth ” will go down to posterity as the best example of fin de si¢cle English, but it is thoroughly scholarly and, though a bit wordy, reaches a high plane of good composition. It was an ambitious effort of Mr. Carleton’s, and he is to be com- mended for having dared to make it. He has not compassed a great success, but he has come a long way from failure. The piece is fairly well acted. Mr. Louis James has a part—the scheming, arrogant priest—which fits him very well, indeed, and makes his disagreeable mannerisms less conspicuous than usual. Mr. Warde also is provided with a part suited admirably to his abilities. These two gentlemen are among the last of the actors of standard parts, and are to be commended for sticking to what seems a sinking ship. The play is handsomely mounted and deserves to be pat- ronized. Metcalfe. AN EXPENSIVE NOTICE. HE physicians on Ellis Island have had their new grass plot ruined by the emigrants walking on it, but cannot afford to put up the sign: “ Keep off the Grass.” It would have to be printed in fourteen different languages. OSTESS: Oh, I think some people are so disagree- able! Don’t you hate people who can sing and won't ? OLD Grouchy: No, not so much as I do those who can't sing and zwed// POKER TERMS. “GOING BETTER.” “FLUSH.” comicbooks.com