Life, 1899-01-12 · page 13 of 20
Life — January 12, 1899 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple satirical pieces typical of early Life magazine humor: **"For His Benefit"** mocks pseudo-scientific justifications for corporal punishment. A father (Mr. Beens) beats his son while claiming crying has health benefits, citing dubious scientific authority. The son, understanding the "logic," asks to be hit again—absurdist satire exposing how parents rationalize abuse. **"Guarding Against Accidents"** is dark humor about execution: a condemned man worries the executioner's rope might break and injure him, treating the execution as a safety concern rather than a death sentence. **Mlle. Cecile Chaminade** section defends women's artistic capability, arguing that women haven't yet achieved musical eminence like Beethoven because they've only recently gained freedom—not lack of talent. This addresses contemporary debates over women's rights and accomplishments. **"After the Service"** shows a wife praising a sermon that criticized her husband, who graciously accepts the dig. The **McKinley/Alger reference** (bottom) suggests political pressure to remove Secretary of War Russell Alger from office, likely over Civil War mismanagement.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE-: } 33 For His Benefit. LTHOUGH it grieves me to do it,” said Mr. Beens, of Boston, as he applied the rawhide where it would have the greatest effect, ‘‘it is for your own benetit that I punish you, Waldo.” “How can it benefit me?” asked the vic- tim, between sobs, “In addition to its reformatory effect, it makes you cry, and scientists tell us that a good cry is highly beveficial. It appears that crying does not cozsist merely in shed- ding tears, but it includes a general and fy widespread action of the muscles of the whole body, convulsing them, and reducing =: , the blood pressure on the brain.” { “How very interesting, papa,” said Waldo, trying to break out into a fresh paroxysm of weeping. ‘‘ Thwack me again.” William Henry Siviter. Guarding Against Accidents. €€\7 OU are sure the rope is strong?” asked the condemned, “Ob, that’sall right,” replied the executioner. “I have known men to be badly hurt by the breaking of a rope at a critical period,” added the subject. MLLE. CECILE CHAMINADE. HERE be those whose favorite argument against the equality of the gentler sex 1s women's lack of accomplishment In the flelds of art and letters.. Such persons should remember that woman bas not had her wings Jong, and that tt ts yet early to expect ber to soar high Into the empyrean heights. Eveu if Mile. Chaminade has not yet ousted Beethoven, Mozart and Wagner from thelr positions of musical eminence, sbe may be tuken as asort of avant courier of what the sex 1s going to accomplish musically when it has become a little more accustomed to freedom. After the Service. HE WIFE: The minister bit you pretty hard to-day, Joba, Tue Huspanp: I'm very glad you enjoyed the sermon, my dear, HE latest and most trustworthy advices from Washington, both by wire and mail, lead Lire to suspect that Presi- POKER TERM. dent McKinley bas not yet removed Mr. Alger from his posi- “PUTTING HIS ANTE IN THE POT.” tion as Secretary of War. comicbooks.com