Life, 1894-08-30 · page 3 of 16
Life — August 30, 1894 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis **Top Cartoon**: A humorous illustration showing a person driving a cart pulled by a horned horse (or goat) that's clearly difficult to control. The caption "What's the matter with driving the horned horse if you want something gnu?" is a pun—"gnu" (the African antelope) sounds like "new." The joke appears to be about the impracticality of using an exotic animal for transportation. **"The Riddle of the Sphinx"**: A poem by Henry Austin about life's nature—philosophical rather than political satire. **"A Gotham Notion"**: A brief comedic dialogue between two women discussing strangers eating with knives at a hotel dining room, likely poking fun at uncouth manners or newly wealthy people's lack of refinement. **"Vicarious Knowledge"**: A two-line joke about unmarried versus married men and their understanding of "home."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHat’s THE MATTER WITH DRIVING THE THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX. wiers Life? A shadow by a sunbeam shown ; A mazy music closing ina moan ; A bitter potion in a jeweled cup ; A queer conundrum—till we give it up ; And then, perchance, the truth so long unguessed We all shall know or else be well at rest. Nay, friend, such answers have the patent twist Of youth, too oft a wanton pessimist, Who, having gulped crude wine, or rather dregs, Views Life, not standing firmly on his legs, But on his head ; and so is forced to frown, Because, of course, the show looks upside down, Yet, verily, though Life's gold hath much alloy, Nor can each day be jeweled with a joy. Still the skilled workman may, at any rate, Carve out a loving-cup and blithely pledge his fate. Henry Austin, FTER all, there seems to be very little the matter are pen. i igilant. When she wins, as she does pretty often, it is because she is faster than Britannia, PhS SSS. and when she loses it is because of annoying defects in the British breezes. She has been racing with Britan- nia for more than two months and is still at it, but still no one ventures to forecast the issue of any race in which both these boats are entered. As a promoter of the sport of yacht racing in British waters, the Vigilant is an immoderate success. VICARIOUS KNOWLEDGE. ITTY (scornfully): Anunmarried man doesn’t know what home means ! Tom (mildly): He knows it is something his married friends seem to consider a desirable place to get away from. A GOTHAM NOTION. RS. WAUKEGAN (aé summer resort hotel): 1 wonder if any Chicago people have arrived yet. MRS. FORUNDRED (0f Fifth Avenue): It might be worth while to inquire. I noticed a number of strangers in the dining-room. “ Were they from Chicago?” “Well, they were taking a twelve o'clock dinner and eating with their knives.” ‘OPEN ALL NIGHT.”