Life — November 10, 1898 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The main illustration, captioned "A Matter of Business," depicts two men in conversation in what appears to be an office or study. The dialogue reads: "Do you think you can support a wife?" "With the help of Providence I hope to." "Providence has no rating in Bradstreet's." This is a satirical commentary on marriage and financial viability. The older man (likely a prospective father-in-law or banker) is interrogating a suitor about his economic capacity to support a wife. The final line references Bradstreet's—a commercial credit-rating agency—suggesting that romantic promises and divine providence are irrelevant; only documented financial creditworthiness matters for marriage eligibility. The joke critiques the commodification of marriage and the late-19th-century emphasis on demonstrable wealth over sentiment.