Life, 1896-05-07 · page 5 of 20
Life — May 7, 1896 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 365 This page contains several satirical pieces about everyday social frustrations rather than political commentary. "A Struggling Young Artist" (top left cartoon) depicts a man being forcibly removed from what appears to be a banker's office, satirizing the difficulty artists face obtaining loans. "A Quandary" is a humorous poem about a maid whose employer demands she shorten her skirt, then criticizes the result—poking fun at contradictory employer demands. "Almost a Tragedy" is a playful dramatic sketch involving characters named Alice Trent, John Dar, and others in Yonkers and Boston, built around mistaken letters and miscommunication causing comedic misunderstandings. The pastoral illustration shows children and sheep in a countryside scene, captioned "There's a black sheep in every flock"—a visual representation of the common proverb about nonconformity in groups. The overall page emphasizes social comedy over political satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A STRUGGLING YOUNG ARTIST. A QUANDARY. HEN mamma saw my cycle suit, She cried: ‘* It's too short, daughter.” But riding on the Boulevard. Some men yelled: ‘* Cut it shorter.” Now I'm asimple, little maid, So won't some one apprise me If I must listen to mamma, Or what the men advise me? Curley, ALMOST A TRAGEDY. CAST OF CHARACTERS. Miss ALIce TRENT, of Yonkers; a young woman. Mr. Joun Marcu Dar, of New York; a young man, Mr. S. M. Goose, of New York; a tailor. Mr. A. D, Trent, of Yonkers; a father. Time: Last week. PLace: Yonkers, New York and Boston. Note from Miss Trent to Mr. Dar: Yonkers, N. Y., Monday. Dear Jack; Can you come up to dinner Thurs- day evening at six o'clock. Cordially, ; ALICE. Note from Mr. Goose to Mr. Dar: 41144 Broadway. Jno. M. Dar, Esq. Dear Sir: Can you pay us $4oon account to-mor- tow? We need the money. Yours respectfully, S. M. GOOSE. LIFE Letter received by Miss Trent from Mr. Dar: Well, I guess not. You must think I'm a Na- tional bank with nothing else to do but to accommo- date you. The next time I get such a note from you, you'll hear something drop, and drop hard. See? You make me tired, Yours, J. M. DAR. Letter received by Mr. Goose from Mr, Dar: Dearest ; Nothing would be more delightful than to do as you request. Surely, I shall only be too glad. Devotedly, JACK. Letter from Mr. A. D. Trent to Mr, Dar: Yonkers, N. Y., Tuesday. Sir: You are an insolent young puppy and I shall call on you, at your office, to-morrow at 10 A.M. for an explanation of your insulting note to my daughter. Yours, A. D. TRENT. Letter from Mr. Goose to Mr. Dar: 41144 Broadway, Tuesday. Dear Old Boy: Accept our profoundest thanks for your promptness. Our collector will call at 10 A.M, to-morrow. Yours sincerely, S. M. GOOS Notice on Mr. Dar’s office door Wednesday: GONE TO BOSTON. BACK NEXT YEAR, Telegram from Mr. Dar to Mr. Trent : Bostox, Mass, Wednesday. A. D. TRENT, Yonkers, N. Y. See my letter to your daughter, mailed to-day. J. M. DAR. Telegram to Mr. Goose from Mr. Dar : Boston, Mass., Wednesday. S. M. Goose, 41144 Broadway, New York. Prepare to be sued for large damages, with the accent on tne first syllable. J. M. DAR. Letter from Mr. Dar to Miss Trent : Young's Hotel, Boston, Mass., Wednesday Ev'ng. My Darling Alice: 1s it necessary for me to ex- plain to you this apparently dreadful situation? Don't you know and understand that I simply mailed you the wrong letter? Try to persuade your father to let me return to New York and explain further in ““ THERE'S A BLACK SHEEP IN. EVERY FLOCK, comicbooks.com