Life, 1896-09-10 · page 7 of 20
Life — September 10, 1896 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 191 This page contains two distinct elements: **Top illustrations**: Two sketches showing a disheveled man in outdoor settings, accompanied by dialogue about referring someone to "the Doctor" and concerns about "outspokenness." The context suggests social commentary about a character's blunt behavior. **"The One Thing Needful" section**: A satirical piece about a theatrical play that failed to impress the public despite having "intelligence, wit, and good looks." The play was dying when asked what it lacked to win audiences' affections. The moral concludes that self-supporting ventures require "legs"—a pun suggesting the play needed either financial substance or, humorously, literal physical appeal (dancing). **"A Cigar Case" illustration**: Shows a cartoonish figure, likely illustrating a humorous anecdote about social interaction or commercial exchange. The page exemplifies Life's satirical commentary on theater, social pretension, and human nature circa this publication period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“PITS LIKE THE PAPER ON THE WALL-NIT! BUT IN THE CIRCUM- STANCES, PRIDE MUST BE LAID ASIDE.” take away something of the sting of his outspokenness, he added; ‘‘1 believe you, Jack, and my advice is to go openly to her father and speak as plainly as you've spoken to me.” “And if he’s unreasonable?” said 1. ‘Refer him to me,” answered the Doctor sively. “You're a brick!" I ejaculated, rising to my feet. ‘And now ?” said he. ** And now?” repeated I, rather vaguely, after him. ‘Her name?” asked he, and there was a good deal of curiosity shot out of his gray eyes. “I must stick to my bargain, I suppose?” que- ried I, ** Most certainly.” . “It begins with ‘P',” said I, watching ~ for some slight suggestion that my decep- tion had been discove: Nothing but confidence shone from his placid face. ‘*What's the middle and ending of it?” asked he. “Altogether they make ‘ Polly’,” answered I in a faltering voice. He was on his feet in a second. “Jack, you rascal, you've hoaxed me; I've been a blind old fool “You wouldn't see,” said 1. ‘* But I can’t wait so talk to you now, I'm off,” grasping his hand. “Off to where?” asked he, in be- wilderment. “To the Jameson’s dance,” an- swered I, joyfully ; and left him dazed and I think happy. deci- Louis Evan Shipman, A CIGAR CASE. Summer boarder ; SOMEONE MA THE MATTER WITH TAK THE ONE THING NEEDFUL. HE other day there was a Play that determined to win the affections of the Public. Tt was a very delightful play ; it had intelligence, wit, and good looks. Nevertheless the Public re- fused to consider the Play's advances. The Play did its best; it smiled, it flirted, and it pouted; but the Public merely went across the way and began making violent love to a Musichall. Finally, when the Play was dying, it asked a Friend if — he would mind finding out what it was that it had lacked in order to win the Public's heart and hand. “Tt seems," replied the Friend, after a conference with the Public, which was at that time working a see-saw flirtation with a Roofgarden and a Stereopticon, ‘that what you lacked was——" But at that moment the Play expired. Which was a pity, since if it had waited, it would have learned something. The moral is: That to be self-supporting one must have legs. Percival Pollard, ROADSIDE REASONING. EACEFUL PETERS: Yes, me young friend Walker entered into rest de twelft of August, 1866. LANGUID LAURENCE: Wot's got yer, Peters? He ain't dead yet. “IT know he ain't. Dat was de date of his birth.” comicbooks.com