Life — February 10, 1898 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Overworked Saint" This cartoon satirizes religious labor through a heavenly scene. A saint (likely Peter, given the keys visible on the door marked "US Airline Chute") processes endless paperwork at a heavenly filing system while angels surround him in a lush, vine-covered office setting. The humor derives from the contrast between heaven's supposed peace and the bureaucratic drudgery depicted here—suggesting that even sainthood cannot escape administrative work. The "US Airline Chute" reference is unclear without additional context, though it may reference early aviation industry practices. The overall satire mocks the growing burden of paperwork and bureaucracy in modern American life, suggesting that such tedious work is so inescapable it pursues even the blessed into paradise.