Life, 1896-01-02 · page 9 of 20
Life — January 2, 1896 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 9 This page contains a narrative anecdote illustrated with three ink sketches, plus a separate dramatic scene (titled "A Distinguished Visitor"). **The main story** (by Alex. Ricketts) depicts a man's misadventure reducing his oversize hat to fit through a railway carriage door during Christmas week. The joke involves his delayed journey to St. Petersburg and confusion about Russian calendar dates—the Russians used the Julian calendar, placing their Christmas in January, not December. When he meets friends, they're "completely gone" (celebrating), creating the satirical point about cultural/calendar differences. **The dramatic scene** appears to be a theatrical dialogue between "Will" and "The Kid," discussing stage performance and artistic merit versus commercial concerns—likely satirizing debates about theater quality versus popular appeal. The cartoons emphasize physical comedy and social embarrassment, typical of Life's early satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
- LIFE: 9 “De LaWD DONE REMEMBER HIS SERBANT, AND HE'S CUM RIGHT SIDE UP.” oe “Come OUT HERE, DINAH. TWO KIND GENTLEMEN DONE TIE DIS MULE TER MY BACK AND 'BLIGED ME TER BRING IT HOME FOR A GIFT.” . the last of Christmas week. I succeeded in reducing my caput sufficiently to get it through the door of a railway carriage——” “ You must have been financially embarrassed,” observed Smith, “ Or in jail,” suggested Jones. “So I started for St. Petersburg,” continued the unmoved Brown, “ where I had an engagement——” “With a grand duchess,” suggested Smith. “ Or the Emperor,” observed Jones. “T was considerably delayed on my journey,” continued Brown. “ Thirty days or three months ?” asked Smith. “ Walking bad ?” asked Jones. Consequently I did not reach my destination until the second of January, as 1 supposed,” Brown continued. “I noticed that there was a good deal of excitement and extra illumination in the streets as I drove—" “In an ambulance ?” asked Smith. “ Or the patrol wagon ?" asked Jones. “ To my hotel,” continued Brown, * but I was too tired ——” “ Poor fellow,” sympathized Smith. “ Delirium tremens zs wearing,” observed Jones. “To notice anything particularly,” continued Brown, “and I went to bed and fell asleep at once. When I hunted up some of my friends ——” Smith tapped his forehead significantly. “Gone, completely gone," murmured Jones. “In the morning,” continued the patient Brown, ‘1 found that, by Jove, I'd plunged right into the beginning of the Christmas holidays. You see, I'd forgotten that the Russians use the old Julian calendar, and are days behind us in their dates, so that their Christmas comes in our January.” “ That's a good story,” said Smith. “If it’s true,” said Jones. “Ttisn’t,” said Brown, “ but it might be.” Alex, Ricketts. A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR. (SEE CARTOON.) ILL: Prithee, good friend, unfold to me The mystery in these blazons hid. Tue Kip: Why, William, do you mean to say you are so little up to date You do not know the stage’s fate ? WiLL: The stage? And surely thou wouldst not imply That knaves like these would seek or try To interfere with the great art In which my humble plays once had a part ? Tue Kip: Ido,indeed, Theirs are the money, brains and gall Which help along the stage’s fall. And those poor bums—— WILL: Bums, sir? I know not bums. Tue Kip; The sandwich men who bear the bills Showing to the vulgar crowd the ills Your muse is made to suffer. Witt: And has my muse aught to do with such abuse ? Tue Kip: ‘Tis true ‘tis pity, and pity ‘tis ‘tis true. Witt: And Iam banished. Be it so. I'd rather comfort me with shades below. My muse ? comicbooks.com