Life, 1894-11-01 · page 8 of 18
Life — November 1, 1894 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains two distinct sections: **Left side ("Our Friends"):** An editorial piece praising Life magazine's publishers, describing a surprise gift presentation. It's essentially house advertising—not a political cartoon. **Right side ("Warming Up Before the Heat"):** A dramatic dialogue between a woman, a Cadi (Islamic judge), and Mustapha about a theater incident. A woman destroyed her head-dress at the theater rather than sit behind a slave. The Cadi debates appropriate punishment—ultimately suggesting lifetime confinement with only stone-wall views. The satire appears to critique rigid Islamic legal traditions and gender segregation practices through this heated debate. The woman's defiant act and the Cadi's harsh response illustrate tensions between modernizing social attitudes and conservative religious law—a relevant Early 20th-century American satirical concern about non-Western societies.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: OUR FRIENDS. A W days ago the publishers of LiFe, on entering their office, received a surprise that will never be for- gotten. Upon a pedestal in the centre of the large room was a veiled figure, and about it, in a friendly circle, were gathered the artists, the writers and those of all the pro- fessions and trades that are represented in the production of this journal. The veil was drawn, and they found themselves facing an exquisite bronze figure of .a winged iLife, by Martiny. The words.of presentation were few but graceful, and the two publishers, taken by surprise, realized they were the recipients of a beautiful work of art, and, more impor- tant, of a priceless expression of the kind wishes of their There are some things in this life sweeter than fame, and more precious than prosperity. Something akin to the highest happiness exists in heads and hearts that work together with perfect trust and sincere affection, It is needless to say that this was one of those occasions where the ordinary expressions of gratitude were far too weak, The statue will always hold the place of honor in this our temple of Truth and Wisdom, for it represents the friendship of our friends, associates, o HAT it is now, Mustapha?” “Only a fool citizen who is going to vote the ‘Tammany ticket, your highness.” “ By the beard of the Prophet, we have no time for such. Let him be forthwith chucked into the Bosphorus. What next?” Here a series of feminine shrieks were beard, anda woman whose hair was streaming down her back and the rouge cn whose cheeks was streaked with tear marks, threw herself at the Cadi's feet. “ Staffir allah xclaimed the Cadi. “ What ails you woman? and why don’t you buy water-proof paint?” “1 can't afford it, because | spend all my money for theatre tickets. But, your highness, | come here for justice against a man who hath wronged me. The son of Shitan hath seized my head-dress, for which I paid thirty only yesterday, and hath torn it into a thousand bit “ Who is the dog that hath done this, and where did he do it? Speak, woman. Allah Kebur—God is great and justice shall be done.” “Tt was at the theatre, oh, fountain of all wisdom, I do not belong to good society and have no other place to display my fine raiment, so I wore my new head-dress. Behind me sat a Kafir who asked me to remove my head-dress so that ix shekels SPORTING PRINT. WARMING UP BEFORE THE HEAT. he might better see the play. Why should 1? 1 had paid for my seat and my head-dress, and I had a right to sit in the one and wear the other. So I simply turned around and stared at the son of aslave. For a long time he twisted and fidgetted and dodged from side to side, and then rising up, seized my head-dress, tore it to pieces and walked out of the theatre.” ‘ “Mustapha,” asked the Cadi, “did you ever see this woman before?” “Yes, your sublime perspicuity; I once sat behind her at the theatre,” “ And for what reason do you suppose the slave destroyed her head-gear ?” “Because he had the nerve, your highness. 1 would have done the same thing if I had not feared your highness might order me to the bow-string,” “What punishment would you suggest for the man then, good Mustapha?" “If it please your sublime justness, | think a monument in the public square and a life pension would be about the proper caper. “ And the woman?” * Let her be confined for life in a cell with the windows just above the top of her head so that she can never see anything but stone walls.” “Wallah thaib!—it is well said. Let it forthwith be done. Allah karim !—God is most merciful, Mahomet is his Prophet, and if ever there was a Cadi with no flies on him 1 am that particular Cadi.” Metcalfe. comicbooks.com