Life, 1896-08-13 · page 10 of 18
Life — August 13, 1896 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 120 - "Life's New Writer" This page announces Mrs. Wettin of London as Life magazine's new exclusive writer. The article boasts that Life has achieved enormous circulation (8,000,000 copies, increasing at 2,000,000 per hour) and can now afford distinguished contributors. The satirical point appears to be about Mrs. Wettin's qualifications: she's described as "a distinguished writer and a society lady" who is "thoroughly familiar with all the scandals that are taking place." The humor lies in suggesting her value lies primarily in gossiping about high-society scandals rather than serious literary merit. The accompanying illustrations show humorous domestic and social scenes typical of Life's satirical style, though the specific references to "Miss Sears" and "Indian summer girl" in the dialogue remain unclear without additional context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TALE OF A KITE. LIFE’'S NEW WRITER. Mrs. Wettin, of London, will here- after be exclusively employed by Life. N°*t to be outdone in its efforts to give the great American public what it is crying for, Lire is pleased to announce that it has cured for its able representative in England, Mrs, Wettin, long and fa orably known throughout the world MRS. W. AT WORK as a distinguished writer and a society lady. She has a happy faculty of putting things in the right way, and is possessed of a style that isthe envy of all Christendom. Not only this, but she is thoroughly familiar with all the scandals that are taking place in her settlement, and can bedepended upon to write things up in the pictur- esque manner, which is what you all want, don’tcherknow. It was only after considerable difficulty that Mrs. Wettin consented to accept this re- sponsible position; but when our busi- ness manager called on herand showed by our books (open to all), that Lire’s circulation was 8,000,000 copies and increasing at rate of 2,000,000 an hour, and furthermore, when we re- considered our first offer of $8.00 per “Look Jot, week and raised it to $10.00, she gladly consented to join our special staff. The accompanying picture is a splendid likeness of Mrs. Wettin, and shows her as she appears when at work for Lire, We hope soon to make other announcements of transcendent interest to all. OM: Didn't you find Miss Sears rather cool for a summer girl? Jack: Yes; she was more like an Indian summer girl. WELL, GOOD BYE JOHN; AN’ IT'S GOIN’ BACK TO CHINA VEZ ARE, PHWHERE VEZ CAN ATE YER DAILY RATAN’ SHMOK. I SHALL MISS YEZ, FOR IT'S MA’ ER POIPE IN AL THE TOME I N'COMFORT. GOOD LUCK Go WID YEZ. NT MY OULD MAN TO AISE HIS MOIND BY BREAKING YOUR WINDOWS PHWHIN HE WANTED TO BATE ME AN' THE CHILDREN !!