Life, 1899-03-25 · page 21 of 32
Life — March 25, 1899 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate humor pieces: **Main cartoon**: A lunatic claims to be both Emperor Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington. When questioned about this contradiction, he says "that was by a different mother"—implying he had different parentage for each identity. The physicians give up questioning him, treating his absurd logic as unarguable. The joke satirizes both the patient's circular reasoning and the physicians' helplessness in the face of it. **Side cartoons**: Street scenes showing Mr. Brief, a newly opened office owner, being importuned by a woman to buy two tickets to a "sociable" (likely a social event/fundraiser). The humor derives from his vulnerability as a newcomer being immediately solicited. **Bottom text fragments** offer brief observational humor about human nature—comparing bravery during tooth extraction to bravery during hanging, and noting that modesty has practical limits when crossing muddy streets. These are typical early-20th-century satirical vignettes mixing social commentary with absurdist humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Clear Case. BOARD of physicians were inquiring into the state of mind of an alleged lunatic, “You told us just now,” said the spokesman, “that you were the Emperor Napoleon, and now you say you are the Duke of Wellington. Pray explain yourself.” * Quite right,” returned the patient, cheerfully ; « that was by a different mother.” They didn’t ask him any more questions. ba a man attracted as much attention having a tcoth pulled as be does being hanged, he would doubtless be just as brave about it. N a muddy crossing even the most modest woman may raise her dress a little above two feet, Afr. Brief (who has Just opened an oficr); “On, MR. BRIEF, YOU MUST BUY TWO TICKETS POR OUR SOCIABLE." comicbooks.com