Life, 1895-03-28 · page 3 of 18
Life — March 28, 1895 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Grace's Choice" – Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes a woman named Grace choosing between suitors based on wealth rather than love. The central illustration depicts Grace flanked by two men labeled "Brown" and "Browne"—a visual pun on their identical names suggesting interchangeable suitors. The poem mocks Grace's mercenary choice: she rejects the poorer Brown despite loving him, marrying the wealthier Browne instead. Lines like "With wealth and—looks, and pedigree" emphasize her prioritization of financial status over genuine affection. The lower section, "He Knew a Thing or Two," contains an unrelated humorous anecdote about boys playing marbles at a church. The satire targets gilded-age materialism and the transactional nature of marriage among society women, a recurring Life magazine theme criticizing wealth-obsessed courtship.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NUMBER 639. She's married now ; has rare point lace, And jewels fit to deck a crown, The man who calls her ‘* darling Grace” Is not the fellow they call Brown. No, /'m the happiest man in town ; I knew she'd not say no to me, One rarely sees Dame Fortune frown On wealth and—iooks, and pedigree. Envoy. You thought that Grace would marry Brown, As in most ballads that you see, But she did not. For her no clown— DA C K ay Ie SS But wealth and—looks, and pedigree. GRAC S OJC 1 Charles Battell Loomis, WRITTEN AFTER READING MUCH SOCIETY Verse. Tis Tnncee i parities HEN first I saw fair featuredGrace, In dainty, tailor fashioned gown, I fell in love with her sweet face And pooh-poohed at her escort, Brown. The fellow’s rich, but such a clown! I did not fear he'd rival me. I, Reginald de Courcy Browne, With wealth and—looks, and pedigree. I set the man a red-hot pace ; Tt was the talk of all the town ; I Anew that I was loved by Grace— I knew it by that yokel’s frown, My ancestors won great renown, While Brown has no ancestral tree. I £new I could the fellow down, With wealth and—looks. and pedigree. HE KNEW A THING OR TWO. NE Saturday morning two little boys were playing marbles on the steps of Trinity church. The pastor coming out and seeing them said: “My little men do you not know that it is wrong to play marbles on the steps of the House of the Lord?” One of the little boys looked up and said: “Oh, He isn’t here to-day; He’s over at the Jewish synagogue.” THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE. OMEO ROSENSTEIN: Suppose ve go on our vedding trip to Milvaukee ? Jutiet Jacoss: Vy should ve go to Mil- vaukee ? RoMEO ROSENSTEIN: It vos der furdest place I could get a pass for.