Life, 1894-12-20 · page 12 of 14
Life — December 20, 1894 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 402: Life Magazine Satire This page contains two distinct pieces of social satire: **Upper section:** A poem mocking a painting ("Church's Picture of 'The Maid and the Skull'"). The verse humorously reimagines a romantic/Gothic encounter between a maiden and a skull, with the skull posing philosophical riddles about life and death—then abruptly asking what toothpaste she used. The satire targets overly serious Romantic artwork by injecting mundane dental humor. **Lower section ("Fashion Notes"):** Satirizes society reporters' superficial coverage of high-society dinners. The writer mocks that Mrs. Vanderbilt's outfit was meticulously described (straw-colored satin, diamond ornaments, diamond bird), while her husband Mr. Duer received no description—he "must have worn something." The satire skewers both the reporters' triviality and readers' obsession with wealthy socialites' clothing while ignoring men entirely. A footnote suggests some listed names may be printer errors, implying even society reporters don't verify facts carefully.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
402 > LIFE: WRITTEN AFTER SEEING CHURCH'S PICTURE AND WHEN HE TOLD IT NO ONE BELIEVED HIM. OF “THE MAID AND THE SKULL.” NOT A DENTAL ADVERTISEMENT. H, grinning skull, { pray thee tell : Had'st thou lover to love thee well?" hall U like thee“ (can such thing be?) ww such a ghastly thing to see? “* Solve me the riddle Death,” saith she. “See !" quoth the skull, ‘* I'll solve it thee— When that of Life you solve for me!" “ * Both mysterious are,” the maid replied, ** For me—who live ; for you—who died ;"" “But, tell at least "—her breath beneath— “What did you use to cleanse your teeth?” Johanna Staats. FASHION NOTES. 6 \ MONG those pres- ent were" Mr. and Mrs. John Jacob Bur- den, Mr. and Mrs. Dun- can Astor, Mrs. Paran Winthrop, Mr, and Mrs. W. Butler Cutting, Mr. and Mrs, ha Harri- man and Count Brok- holst.* riday night, when Mrs. iam K. Vanderbilt had Mr. and Mrs. William A. Duer as her guests, she was at- tired in straw-colored satin, and some diamond ornaments on her corsage and a small diamond bird in her coiffure. Mrs, Duer was in black brocade. And Mr. Duer ? He must have worn something. And if so, what was This is another instance of the carelessness of society reporters. They seem to think the men are of no importance. For all we know Mr. Duer may have kept his ulster on all through the dinner. Readers in Arizona will suppose he ate in his linen duster and rubber boots, while the Alaskan will picture him in a seersucker cut-away with seal-skin trousers, Or was he also in straw-colored satin with a dia- mond bird in his hair? Can it be he was so insufficiently clad that the reporter took pity and was silent. Why not describe his clothes? Nothing could be flatter and more trivial than the information already given. Why must we read that these per- sons had their dinner that night? Who cares whether Mrs, William K. Vanderbilt in the privacy () of her own house wears one diamond bird in her hair or a whole aviary ? * It seems tous that, although these names have a familiar sound, the printer may have made mistakes in setting them up. However, it is of no importance to the general public; the owners of the names are the only ones who will care to un- ravel them. comicbooks.com