Life, 1897-06-10 · page 1 of 20
Life — June 10, 1897 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, June 10, 1897 **The Main Cartoon: "The Uncertain Future"** The large illustration shows a woman in elegant dress with an elaborate hat, seated indoors. The caption quotes her saying: "My darling, I always feel like taking off my shoes when I enter your sacred presence. Well, I would rather you did it now than after we are married." This is a marriage-anxiety joke typical of 1890s satire. The woman expresses uncertainty about her fiancé's character—suggesting she'd prefer to discover his true nature (implied to be unpleasant) *before* marriage rather than after. The "sacred presence" phrase is ironic, implying his supposedly gentlemanly demeanor may be performative. The ornate left border contains decorative period imagery unrelated to the main cartoon.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XxXIx. NEW YORK, JUNE 10, 1897. NUMBER 755. Fatered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mall Matter Copyright, 1807, by Mirna. & MILLER. prehicanys ie) ge Svm. THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE : MY DARLING, | ALWAYS FEEL LIKE TAKING OFF MY SHOES WI ENTER YOUR SACRED PRESENCE, “WELL, | WOULD RATHER YOU DID IT NOW THAN AF WE ARE MARRIED,”