Life, 1895-10-17 · page 3 of 20
Life — October 17, 1895 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page (Volume XXVI, Number 668) The main cartoon, "When Life Shall Be Dictator," depicts a wealthy man in a carriage drawn by an exhausted horse, while a figure on the right controls dogs. The caption criticizes dress codes and personal freedoms: "Take off those checks! You may wear a gag and have yourself out of shape if you want to, but you must give horses a fair show." This satirizes hypocrisy—mocking restrictive fashion rules while advocating animal welfare. The other sections include a golf poem ("My Lady of the Links") and a dialogue titled "English As It Is Spoken" about a broken engagement, with the punchline "Making Good the Ante," likely a card-game metaphor for reconciliation. The content reflects turn-of-the-century satirical humor about social conventions and propriety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NUMBER 668. WHEN LIFE SHALL BE DICTATOR. “TAKE OFF THOSE CHECKS! YOU MAY WEAR A GAG AND HAVE YOURSELF OUT OF SHAPE IF YOU WANT TO, BUT YOU MUST GIVE MIORSES A FAIR SHOW,” MY LADY OF THE LINKS. T is impossible to make a pessimist of IKE Dian, her trim ankles seen, a negro with a watermelon. And small feet treading lightly, : She drives the ball from green to green, And grasps her lofter tightly. Like Venus, her sweet lips and eyes Above her wind-tossed plaidie, She plays—my fortune for her prize, Dan Cupid for her caddie. ENGLISH AS IT IS SPOKEN. se OW did it happen that Miss Weston’s engage- ment to Lord Dolittle was broken off? I thought it a sure thing.” “So did everyone else, but I've been told that the trouble was that she pronounced papa in the Chicago style, and it sounded so much like pauper, that Lord Dolittle was frightened away.” “ MAKING GOOD THE ANTE.”