Life, 1898-09-15 · page 3 of 20
Life — September 15, 1898 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 203 Analysis This page contains three separate pieces of social commentary from early 20th-century American life: 1. **"Not His Fault"** mocks a man named Rastus for his poor judgment in choosing bad company and marrying poorly—typical period humor about personal responsibility. 2. **"Those Below"** praises working-class naval engineers and mechanics who performed unglamorous but essential wartime labor, contrasting them with celebrated admirals. It advocates recognizing less visible contributors to society. 3. **"Autumn Next!"** celebrates autumn's arrival and the "fall trade," suggesting post-WWI economic optimism about upcoming business prosperity and recovery. The illustrations show fashionable women in carriages with horses, typical of the magazine's focus on upper-class leisure. The overall tone reflects post-war American society adjusting to peacetime.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Autumn Next! HE month with an ‘‘r” in it was never more welcome than it is this year. We are glad to have the oyster back, glad to have the war over, and oh, how glad to have the back of summer broken and the pretensions of fall placed on a legal basis | very a It has been a mortal hot summer, and a us one. The war has brought interests and excitements, but, on the whole, few sustaining Not His Fault. OCTOR: That's a bad razor cut in your head, Rastus. Why don’t you profit by this lesson and keep out of bad company? Rastcs: Ah would, doctah, but Ah ain't got no money toe git er divorce. THERE WAS A YOUNG TIGER OF ADEN, WHO WENT OUT To RIDE WITH A MAIDEN THRY RETURNED FROM THEIR RIDE WITH THE TIGER INSIDE, HV. Pomeroy. Those Below. HERE has been much kissing of naval heroes—Admirals and Commodores preferred. Hobson, of course, had some, But what of tho men who stayed below and did tbo hardest work and took the heaviest risks? The gov ernment in its awards appears even more hysterical and girlishly impulsive than the maidons themselves, Wo hear of few engineors, for instance, who have been promoted. Is an engineer ot no special importance on a battleship in action? Is the engine-room go cool, the work 80 easy and the position so devoid of danger that no thanks are needed? Let these promotions go to the men who were working in the dark as well as to thoso who saw the fighting. T might be easier for a rich man to get into heaven if he were permitted to take his riches with him. NOB is worse for a Society reputation than to be suspected of wishing to please. AND A SMILE ON THE FACE OP THE MAIDEN. exultations, and only a very moder- ate amount of real sport. There is avast deal of hard and conscientious work between us and any final re- sults of the war that we can regard with just pride and warrantable thankfulness, In spite of our suc- cesscs, War bas not made the sum- mer joyous to us. Now, or very soon, begins the movement known as the fall trade. We are told that this year it is going to bea moreimportant and pervasive movement than usual, and is to mark the beginning of what the newspapers fondly call ‘‘an era of un- precedented prosperity.” Tbe demand for unprecedented prosperity is brisk. If Autumn is to dispense it, we are doubly glad to have her hang out ber sign and open for business.