Life, 1894-08-02 · page 10 of 16
Life — August 2, 1894 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Boy Who Had Presence of Mind" This comic strip illustrates a boy's quick thinking during what appears to be a crisis situation. The sequential panels show the boy responding actively to danger—likely a fall or accident involving another person. The title "A Boy Who Had Presence of Mind" suggests the humor derives from the boy demonstrating composure and resourcefulness under pressure, contrasting with expected panic. The accompanying text articles—"A Suggestion" and "A Letter to an Aspirant"—offer satirical social commentary. "A Suggestion" critiques doctors and vivivisection debates. "A Letter to an Aspirant" mocks social climbing and offers sardonic advice to women seeking upper-class status, emphasizing money and pragmatism over genuine merit or education. Together, the page presents satirical commentary on social pretension and earnest virtue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A SUGGESTION. HE doctors are now in distress Because of the objection Made by the people and the press To wholesale vivisection. But it would lose, I much suspect, A host of the objectors, If Science would but vivisect Some of the vivisectors. J. GB. A LETTER TO AN ASPIRANT. ERY DEAR MADAME :—Of course there's no use telling you the game isn’t worth the candle. Women like you must be born with the belief that it is worth it, just as some people are born with a caul. In the latter case the blemish may be removed and sold for a consid- eration to some super- stitious person, but the itch to “get into society’ once in- herited, or once * contracted, is a dis- ease which only with its victim. Granted you have the curse, let us see what else you have. Money of course. If you have it not, lock your door and take four or five grains of mor- phine. Certainly an easy death is better, even for you, than to be a social aspirant without money, And you have children whom you expect to inherit your social mantle. Good, Send the boys to the first- class schools and colleges. They are doubtless stupid but you can hire tutors. For the girls, governesses, a fashionable school and a good dressmaker. On your life don’t send them to Vassar or let them really learn anything. If your husband has managed to live through the financial demands of your ambitions, a good valet and a sensible—not a fashionable—tailor will make him cease to be a handicap, particularly if you keep him out of sight except when actually needed. And now for yourself, You may not be actually vulgar, but you will save yourself a lot of guying from people who have gone in a little ahead of you if you engage, as a companion or secretary, some woman who went in a good deal ahead of you, or whose mother did. She can edit your social corres- pondence, and tell you how many cards to leave. Don’t use a “book of etiquette.” That subject has never yet been written about by any one who knew anything about it. A safe.and more economical plan is to submit your problems to the persons who settle WHO HAD PRESENCE OF MIND. comicbooks.com