Life, 1897-09-16 · page 7 of 20
Life — September 16, 1897 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 227 This page critiques a novel by Hall Caine titled *John Storm*. The text argues that Caine intended to depict a Christian living authentically in modern London, but instead created a character with "weaknesses and self-delusions" who lacks genuine Christian ideals. The reviewer criticizes the protagonist as poorly mannered, emotionally unstable, and self-righteous—hardly an inspiring moral example. The cartoon below satirizes working-class gambling, showing a man explaining a numbers-betting scheme to children, using crude probability language ("one cent, number two two cents"). The caption mocks the desperation of poor people seeking quick wealth through gambling rather than honest work—a common Progressive-era social criticism about urban vice and poverty.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
227 saint. He is not even attractively human in his eccen- tricities, No amount of fireworks can ever persuade people to believe that the modern Christian met his doom in the person of Joka Storm. The truth is that this isa reasonable age. A pretty wide observation of cause and effect has taught thinking people that permanent progress does not come through the agency of ill-balanced minds; that what is worth saving or believing must appeal to the sanest part of a man’s intellect, Nobody expects great moral reforms to be wrought on the lines of a melodrama. It has been tried on a large scale in this country, and Mr. Bryan can give an authentic account of it. If you want us to believe in your martyr, Mr. Caine, please give him some virtues that will appeal to sensi- ble people. Droch, Beauty Her Sister Is. HE is so sweet that Beauty her sister is, And with soft, warm caresses doth enfold her ; Yet in their kinship differences exist— Beauty is always young, while she grows older. Beauty her sister is, but, as time flies, Treats her cach speeding year a trifle colder. Tom Masson. A Poser, N IP: Seems to me that lately I have run against an enormous number of men that have seen better days. Tuck: Yes, but did you ever'strike one who was grateful for it? “WHY DO MEN HAVE SUCH SHORT VACATIONS ? HE'S THE FIFTH I WAS J LEARNING TO LOVE, WHEN HE HAD TO GO Away."" minded, realistic, and without a touch of malice. Moreover, in the characters of Drake and the Prime Minister, the author has presented English gentlemen in a fairer light than the rest of the book leads one to expect. . * . BUF whe one measures this story by what Mr. Hall Caine intended it to represent, a different balance must be struck. He aimed at ‘a thougat in the form of a story.” John Storm is put up as the type of a man trying to live the life of a Christian in modern London. The author shows him personally to be full of * weak- nesses and self-delusions,” but his ideals are Christian and the world will have none of them. Therefore he is made a martyr like all great reformers, and the reader is expected to bemoan the wickedness of the world and its blindness to high aims. Instead of labelling ok Storm a type of Christian, the author should have exploited him as the logical out- come of an imperfect education, poorly balanced facul- ties, a blind will, and a touch of emotional insanity. In addition, be has a most uncharitable nature, very bad manners, and no tact whatever. He is an extremely selfish person, neglecting his father, his uncle, and the ; ; 2 “SAY, MISTER, DON'T YER WANT TER TAKE A CHANCE? IT'S A CENT A girl he believes he loves. He is given abundant oppor- D T'ROW. ALL YEZ GOT TO DO IS TO TAKE DIS BRICK AN’ TRY AN’ CHUCK IT tunity to test his most absurd theories of social reform, ,yTo ONE OF DEM OPEN SLOTS, IF YER FIRES IT INTO NUMBER ONE YER and bungles them all. Upon the author’sown showing Gis ONE CENT, NUMBER TWO TWO CENT: SO ON UP TER NUMBER FIVE. he is neither to be pitied as a martyr nor adored asa = TRY IT FOR LUCK. YER CAN'T LOSE MORE'N A CENT." comicbooks.com