Life, 1895-12-12 · page 7 of 18
Life — December 12, 1895 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 381 This page contains two cartoon illustrations with accompanying text discussing Western frontier fiction and teaching methods. The **top cartoon** ("Cupid's Catch") depicts a schoolteacher pointing at a U.S. map while children sit on the floor. The dialogue reveals a domestic comedy: a man jokes that a woman who "smokes" has had her heart stolen, but he's using "smoker" as slang—she doesn't literally smoke cigarettes. The humor plays on the double meaning and the narrator's relief that the woman is respectable by modern standards. The **bottom cartoon** ("At Cripple Creek") shows a teacher asking students to locate Chicago on a map, with what appears to be mining or frontier activity illustrated. The page discusses Owen Wister's Western fiction and praises American frontier stories as suitable material for writers seeking authentic Americana.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE: 381 for one to call upon his invention, save to draw, if he can, characters who shall fit these strange and dramatic scenes? One cannot improve upon such realities.” He has succeeded in making his scenes very real and very picturesque. Those who have lived the life say that his local color is correct, and that is a high compliment, Moreover, he has created one distinct character, Specimen Jones. He has enough individuality even to shake off the ever ready aspersion that he is one of Bret Harte’s literary progeny. Droch. y, | CUPID'S CATCH. > SSPOHERE goes a maid,” said For she of whom he'd spoken so, Dan to me, That dreary autumn day, “ Who has the smoker's heart. Was she who'd promised, you must “What, she?” I cried, for candidly know, The statement made me start; ‘Through life to walk my way. ‘Tis false,” I cried. “tT now her well. ‘The gods be praised that she Is not the style of modern belle Who's ‘ New” and rather free! “You must be wrong, dear Dan,” said I. “I'm sure she does not smoke,” He laughed and winked his AT CRIPPLE CREEK. little eye, ; And said, ‘* That's just the The New Teacher: NOW, CAN ANY OF VOU DEAR LITTLE BOYS SHOW ME CHICAGO ON THE MAP? tok joke, ‘She does not smoke, but ready to hand with a most sensational rescue you, you do— from a burning windmill in the last act to . 5 I think I'm very smart lease the gallery. ~ = a. To say, since you're a As a writer Mr. Raymond shows the gift ‘ smoker true, of style -simple, rugged, and often poetic. She has the smoker's ‘* w ‘* heart !"" . . . riyle Smith, E turn out some fighting stories of our own, for which the diversities of West em frontier life furnish excellent subjects. Bret Harte blazed the trail for this kind of story, but his heroes are a little out of date. There was a decade or two unrepresented in American fiction, until Owen Wister began to write the tales that have been collected in avolume entitled ‘Red Men and White” (Harpers.) He has been wise in the choice of his material. From a period rich in actual oc- curcences and in brave men of a rugged type he has chosen certain in- cidents that have been made real to him by par- ticipants in the events, Around these he has wov- en his stories. Surely he has taken the right attitude for young American writ- ers, “When our national life, our own soil, is so rich in adventures to re- cord, what need is there Chorus: Cert! RIGHT THERE, PARD, SEE?