Life, 1895-09-05 · page 1 of 16
Life — September 5, 1895 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Teachings of Adversity" (Life, September 5, 1895) This satirical illustration depicts two men in discussion, captioned "The Teachings of Adversity." The dialogue contrasts how hardship affects different relationships: **The Bitter One** states: "I tell you, a man changes his mind about his friends and enemies. How so, old man?" **The reply**: "His enemies stop hitting him when he's down, but it's then that his friends begins." The cartoon satirizes the harsh reality that fair-weather friends often abandon or exploit someone in misfortune, while enemies may show unexpected mercy. The two figures appear to be working-class men, suggesting this was commentary on social and economic vulnerability in the 1890s—a period of financial instability in America. The cynical observation about human nature during adversity is the cartoon's central joke.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XXVI. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 5, 1895. NUMBER 662. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 189s, by Micneit & Mitten, prshlcanys a SVM. THE TEACHINGS OF ADVERSITY. The Bitter One: 1 TELL YOU, A MAN CHANGES HIS MIND AROUT 1118 FRIENDS AND ENEMIES, “How so, OLD MAN?” “HIS ENEMIES STOP HITTING HIM WHEN HE'S DOWN, BUT IT's THEN THAT HIS FRIENDS BEGIN.”