Life, 1897-06-17 · page 3 of 20
Life — June 17, 1897 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine, Volume XXIX, Number 756 This page depicts a domestic social scene rather than political satire. An elegantly dressed woman reclines while receiving a young male visitor, creating a comedic situation about propriety and reputation. The dialogue reveals the humor: the woman worries about appearing respectable while entertaining an unmarried man. She mentions an "Albert" perpetually in debt and compares the visitor unfavorably to "Cousin Willie." The woman expresses anxiety about gossip in "Christendom," suggesting she's the only woman there who can "conceal" her age. The satire targets Victorian-era social anxieties—particularly female vanity, financial concerns among the gentry, and the rigid social codes governing unmarried interactions. The ornate furnishings emphasize the upper-class setting where such propriety concerns matter most.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOLUME XxIX NUMBER 756 HAT! Can this be Lire?” “Itis, my dear Queen.” ‘How good of you to come over and help me out. 1 was beginning to feel so—" ‘Nervous ?” “Yes. All this excitement, you know.” “‘Of course. I've had a jubilee myself, and appreciate just how it feels. May I—" “Certainly. Sit right down.” “Thanks. I suppose everything is going along nicely?” “Oh, yes. But—" “You don’t mean to say Austin has written something good?” “Oh, no; not that, rot that. I was going to remark that it’s dread- fully expensive. I've had to get—" “True, my dear madame, but you have a free seat. Suppose you had to buy one?” “Enough! It makes me shudder.” “Besides, think of the occasion. Are’ you not to be congratulated?” “Oh, I don’t know. I'm the only woman in Christendom who can't conceal—" “Her age? know several of them. Don't believe it. I And then, think of what a respectable family you come from.” “Um! Why, I can’t remember the time when that boy Albert was not in debt.” “But suppose he were like his Cousin Willie?” “Don't, please! That would be more than I could bear. You were kind. Lire, to drop in on me—" ‘Don't mention it, Permit me, madame, to kiss your hand, and to wish you many happy returns of the day.” “Thanks. And remember you are welcome, Lire, though I do not always understand you.” ‘But that is not your fault.” “No?” “No, It’s only because you're English, you know. Adieu, and good luck.” comicbooks.com