Life, 1893-12-28 · page 31 of 53
Life — December 28, 1893 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains romantic poetry and two satirical cartoons. **"Love's Weather"** is sentimental verse about enduring romantic love through seasons of hardship—a common Victorian theme. **"Trying It 'On a Dog'"** references the Puritan doctrine requiring religious sacrifice of home and country, exemplified by Roger Williams (the religious dissenter exiled from Massachusetts Bay Colony). The phrase "trying it on a dog" likely means testing an idea on someone gullible or powerless. **The cartoon below** depicts a discharged convict cheerfully bidding farewell to his prison keeper, casually instructing him to keep his champagne on ice and promising to return soon. The satire is obvious: a supposed criminal with such refined tastes (champagne) and casual confidence suggests either that prisons held wealthy criminals or that the entire penal system was corrupt/ineffective. The convict treats his release as temporary—he fully expects to return, implying inevitable recidivism or that imprisonment poses no real deterrent.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LOVE’S WEATHER. V HEN you and I Resolved to tie Our hearts in one together, "Twas on a day In sunny May— Love's month and Love's own weather. tt But when the year Grows cold of cheer, Sweet, prithee, still remember Love knows a charm To keep him warm, That scorns a dark December. If in sweet eyes The Summer skies Have left their beauties playing, Though snow and cloud ‘The earth enshroud, Love still can go a-Maying ! TRYING IT “ON A DOG.” ‘© THE Puritans were the first to preach the doctrine that a man should give up home and country for his religion.” “Yes; and lived up to it in the case of Roger Williams.” rf ki Discharged Convict (to keeper): WELL, SO LONG, OLD FEL! ANY MESSAGE YER WANT TER SEND TO YER BEST GAL IN THE City?) AND SAY, CHAPPIE, KEEP MY CHAMPAGNE ON ICE TILL I GET BACK YER AGIN AFORE LoNG. Ta, TA! comicbooks.com