Life, 1894-12-27 · page 22 of 53
Life — December 27, 1894 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a festive Christmas illustration with accompanying poetry rather than political satire. The page depicts Victorian-era holiday celebrations featuring carolers and revelers in period dress. The imagery shows two scenes: an upper vignette of people gathered indoors around a wassail bowl (spiced wine), and a larger illustration below of Christmas carolers outdoors, including women in flowing dresses and men in formal attire, appearing joyful and energetic. The text is purely celebratory verse about Christmas traditions—bells ringing, mistletoe, evergreens, holly, dancing, and caroling. References like "wassail-bowl" and "Yule-log" invoke traditional English Christmas customs. The byline "M.E.W." indicates the author/illustrator. There is no political commentary or social satire present—this is simply sentimental, nostalgic Christmas entertainment typical of Life magazine's lighter editorial content during the holiday season.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
While over the wassail-bow! gallants a- jostle, All jesting and laughter, a rollicking throng, Crowd clinking their glasses to drink to the lasses And welcome old Christmas with snatches of song. Then hey for the evergreen, ho for the holly ! Keep holiday, sweethearts, nor ever ask how, When Love goes before us to lead off the chorus With “ Hey nonny no for the mistletoe bough!” MEOW. XMAS. LISTEN, good people! The bells in the steeple Are swinging and ringing and caroling now— ‘Tis ** Hey for the evergteen, ho for the holly, And hey nonny no for the mistletoe bough ! is gleaming, its radiance streaming, Upon the gay figures that flit to and fro, Or twirl down the middle to flute and to fiddle With ribbons a flutter and cheeks in a comicbooks.com