Life, 1898-09-08 · page 1 of 20
Life — September 8, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine, September 8, 1898 This page features "A Proper Retort," a photographic illustration with satirical caption. The image shows two figures in what appears to be a domestic interior scene. The caption reads: "What kind of a cook are you?" he asked of the maid he loved so true. "Before I tell," said she, "What kind of a hired man are you?" This is a romantic/comedic exchange playing on class dynamics and gender roles of the 1890s. The "retort" humor relies on the maid turning the employer's critical question back on the hired man—a working-class romantic scenario where the maid witty deflects criticism by questioning his own competence. The joke reflects period anxieties about servant relationships and domestic hierarchies, presented as lighthearted banter between working-class characters.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
oe NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 8, 1898. NUMBER 822, Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mall Matter. Copyright, 1898, by Lirg PUBLISHING ComPaANY. 0.00 4.16 19.04 35.19 36.67 ed 5.24 10.19 y3.68 15.00 69.00 p25 0.12 59.00 42.18 2.37 A PROPER RETORT. “WHAT KIND OP A COOK ARE YOU?” HE ASKED OF THE MAID I LOVED SO TRUE. “BEFORE I TELL," SAID SUE, “WHAT KIND OF 4 HIKED MAN ARE YOU?” uster. comichbooks.comy)