Life, 1898-12-08 · page 3 of 20
Life — December 8, 1898 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 483 - Analysis This page features satirical content about early 1900s politics and society. The main portrait shows Miss Marguerite Merington, likely a public figure of the era. The text references "Uncle Samuel" (Uncle Sam) critiquing European diplomacy, suggesting Americans are adopting a practice of "mealing what you say" rather than the European tradition of deceptive rhetoric—a commentary on American diplomatic style versus European sophistication. The small illustration depicts a figure at a doorway, accompanying commentary about married men and heroism, with a quote from what appears to be a Supreme Court decision. The "Stolen Sweets" poem above mocks romantic pursuit, suggesting the risks of seeking honeyed words from women. Overall, the page satirizes American foreign policy pretensions and gender relations through humor typical of Life's editorial approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MISS MARGUERITE MERINGTON, GENTLER hand now frets the bit, ‘And Pegusus hath learned new graces; Sido-saddled by a woman's wit, Tho metred path he gently paces. (See page 186.) NCLE SAMUEL seems to have put his thamb down very forcibly on European diplomacy. The Spaniards have been uscd as the object lesson in introducing a principle hitherto unknown in the intercourse of European nations, Diplomacy heretofore has been the exact science of roiling the waters so that your enemy could not see you. The Americans have substituted for this archaic practice thesimpler one of meaning what you say, ,] saying what you mean, and then sticking to it, LL married men are not heroes, any more than all men improve their opportunities, Stolen Sweets. ER mouth than honey swooter is, I trow; Yot bitter words from her sweet lips have sprung. Ab, well! Who will in search of honey go Mast risk, forsooth, the chanco of being stung. “AND IP THE UNITED 6TATES SUPREME COURT DECIDES ADVERSELY, WHAT WILL BE MY NEXT ‘WOVE, MB, BLACKSTONE ?"” “10 MAVEN, I THINK.” comicbooks.com