Life, 1895-01-17 · page 10 of 16
Life — January 17, 1895 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains satirical theatrical content rather than political cartoons. The main piece is "A Letter from the Second Mrs. Tank," a humorous complaint to *Life* from a character claiming to represent English theatrical women. She defends her profession against American disapproval, noting that English playwrights have made respectability through their work, while Americans consider theater disreputable. She argues English actresses deserve acceptance in "good society." Below are brief comedic dialogues mocking social pretension and marital infidelity. The accompanying illustration shows a woman's face in sketch form. The satire targets American social snobbery toward theater performers and the hypocrisy of those who attend plays while disdaining actors socially.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A POEM OF LOVE AND SORROW. DEAR LIFE: I know you have never approved of me, although I was introduced to New York by Mrs. Madge Kendal, one of the most notoriously virtu- ous and conspicuously modest women of this epoch. I came to you as one of the early representatives of my class. My sisters and I, as you are aware, are the creations of a school of London play-writers known to the world at large as the Apostles of the Filthy. They find money and a certain sort of fame by making women of my sort the prominent feature of their work. Thanks to them, we women with blotted pasts have attained a considerable vogue on the London stage. The principal question involved in America is whether people of our sort are really presentable. Of course you won't admit us to what is called * good society. Therefore the only place we may meet you, and by Mrs. Kendal’s help, is on the stage of the New York theatre. We really did not want to come there. We think that naturally the American public is rather a clean public, and therefore we have no especially strong desire to afflict it with our presence. —for money—we don't mind appealing to so rich a public as that of America is reputed to be—we're English, you know— but honestly, we're not so bad as we're painted, on the stage. These play-writers drag us into a prominence we neither de: Our place in the world is, to a certain extent, in the ba erve nor desire. kground. We are usually kept there. Therefore when play-writers drag us out of our seclusion we think they do an injustice not only to us, but to the good *© OH! my precious little darlin; girls of America, to the virtuous Mrs. Madge Kendal, to Lady Isabel ; You will spoil me, I'm afraid, Somerset and to Mrs. Grannis. ‘ With your winsome ways of welcome ; ¢ Believe me, dear Lire, I don’t want to afflict you or your decent Can they ever be repaid? readers with any tale of woe, but, personally, am tired of America. What can I, a common mortal, You people are too good for me. Mrs. Kendal insists you are as big Ever do to worthy be?” hypocrites as she and Willie are, but I don't believe it. I want to get ** Pay this bill, you dear, sweet hubby, back to dear old London, where I belong, and I remain, For the cart you gave to me.” Yours since— . § Tue SecoND Mrs, TANK. VERY UNFORTUNATE. a — HIMSICUS: I always knew that thir- MORE DISTINCTION THAl! DIFFERENCE. teen was an unlucky number! Jollicus “THEN you mean to say that the man is a constitutional liar.” gave an awfully swell dinner at Del's the other “Oh, dear, no sah! My dear sah, no sah! His family is one night, and there were just thirteen at table. of the best in the state, a family, sah, full of the bluest of blue blood. Well, what happened ? He could not possibly be a common, vulgar liar, sah. _ It’s not possible, What happened? Why, I sah. He has a weakness for misstatement, and his word is not to be relied upon, and my private advice to you is to believe nothing he say: — but to call him a liar—considering his family—would be preposterous, HIS ATTENTION DIVIDED. RS, JON John, you didn’t keep your a . = eyes on the preacher all the time. Fr =D: Was that a Boston girl you were talking to a minute ago? S$ How could 1? [ had my ARTHUR: Yes. Didn't you hear me sneezing ? umbrella with me. Not to say dangerous, sah comicbooks.com