Life, 1894-08-30 · page 12 of 16
Life — August 30, 1894 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Usurper" — Life Magazine Satire This two-part satirical cartoon critiques changes in courtship and romance in early 20th-century America. **The main poem**: Personified "Love" (depicted as Cupid) complains that his power has diminished. Young women are now "tailor-made girls" who are "flint and steel"—resistant to romantic advances. Worse, a rival force called "Flirtation" has replaced Love's traditional role. Flirtation is "entertaining" but shallow, treating romance as casual amusement rather than genuine emotion. The satire suggests that modern courtship—characterized by superficial flirtation rather than sincere romantic feeling—represents cultural decline. Love has "passed away from earth." **The secondary cartoon** (lower left, with apes): Mocks evolutionary theory by suggesting that if monkeys derive from humans, humans must be degenerating into apes, appearing alongside commentary about changing social behavior. **The "Severe Ordeal" dialogue**: A separate joke about a woman's worsening health, with dark humor about medical futility. The satire reflects anxieties about modernization and the perceived loss of authentic emotion in social interactions.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A _USURPER. OUNG Love, with sorry draggled wings, His eyes bedimmed, his bow unstrung, Moped in a corner, sad and still, With listless hands and idle tongue. “What, ho! My whilom, saucy lad ! No arrows for the heedless crowd ? No flying darts with reckless aim For stupid men and maidens proud ?” The youngster shook his curly head, “ My span of life is well nigh run, I've done for millions in my time, And, oh! It has been lots of fun. But now my bow has lost ts power, My arrows glance and turn aside. ilor-made girls are lint and steel, My darts are spoiled, my rules defied. I've got a younger brother, too, BUT HIS PLANS ARE FOILED, Who's taking in my ancient trade ; He used to run down all my game And help me on in many a raid, His victims all with promptness bring For me to lay upon the shelf— But now he sets them free as air, Won't even keep them for himself. Flirtation is this fellow’s name, He's called an entertaining lad ; But he has killed Love's ancient power, His ways are wrong, his heart is bad.” The boy's voice low and fainter grew, And heavy hung his curly head, Ah! Love hath passed away from earth, Flirtation reigneth in his stead. AND A NUMBER OF IAL APES ARE NOW ADVANCING A THEORY THAT MONKEY 1S DERIVED FROM MAN, A SEVERE ORDEAL, a E two ladies had not met for some time and they were vitally interested in each other's welfare. “T hope your health is better than when I saw you last,” said the first. “No, I grow worse every day,” responded her friend, despond- ently, “Too bad, too bad! What seems to be the matter?” “No one knows, and the doctors say they cannot tell till after the post mortem.” . “Why, how awful! You poor, dear thing! In your weak state, you can never live through that.” Young Author: ASHAMED OF HAVING RECEIVED AN EDUCA- TION! WHY SHOULD YOU THINK THAT OF ME? ‘FROM YOUR WRITING DIALECT STORIES," comicbooks.com