Life, 1899-08-17 · page 8 of 20
Life — August 17, 1899 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page satirizes genealogical snobbery among American women. The article "A Finer Grade of Ancestors" mocks the trend of wealthy women joining patriotic societies (like the Daughters of the Revolution) to prove aristocratic lineage, replacing frontier ancestors with refined colonial Maryland gentry. The main cartoon shows a woman in a ballroom gown holding scales of justice, surrounded by zodiac symbols labeled "Virgo—August." This appears to reference astrology or heavenly/divine judgment of one's worthiness—likely satirizing how women use fabricated genealogies to claim moral and social superiority. The lower cartoon shows a scene labeled "Noah's! I made a mistake when I brought you aboard," humorously suggesting even Noah's Ark couldn't accommodate certain ancestry claims—implying some genealogies are absurdly inflated or false.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Finer Grade of Ancestors. HE log-cabin-rifle-and-axe pioneor is not 80 fashionable for an ancestor as he used to be, The {deal American biogra- phy for a “statesman” always began in that way until the women of the country organized patriotic societies with revola- tionary backgrounds, When a woman finds anancestor she wants him to have somo frills. Biue jeans will do for the boyhood of a prosidential eandidate—buta Daughter of the Revolution likes to look back ata fine array of quaint women in laces, satin and jewels, with attendant men who ride to hounds, drink and swear like gentlemen, and are ready to fight for love. Dr, Mitchell pleased them very well with “Hagh Wynne,” and now Winston Churchill follows with “ Richard Carvel " (Mu which reprodu the aristocratic of Colonial Maryland. They wero gay birds in thoso days and used most surpris- ing language. Whether they were quite so Jegant” as Me. Churchill draws them is a question for antiquarians, At any rat tho author has a right to create his own atmosphore. . . . F, does it very well. For tho timo H boing tho reader lives in what Mr. Churchill wants him to be vo is Maryland just before the Revolution, The stately men and flirtatioas women have good old. Maryland names, and act very much as they usually act in historical novels of either English or rican manufacture, Of course the hero tells his own story to his grand-children in the time-honored, benignant way. Ho has tho customary semblance of modesty, but does not try to covceal the fact that he was a devil ofa fellow. He could fight or make love with the best of them; gambled like a lord, con- sorted with the gayest rakes in London— but his “heart was truo to Poll.” ae ee Tho heroine also follows tho best traditions, Sho is NEROO = AG supremely beautiful and flirts divinely. Sho is also Virgo; ARE YOU THE “MRAVENLY CHORUS" ABOUT WHOM MILTON WROTE? capricious, and keeps tho horo on the ragged edge for SNE ELAOEEG:: OBACIOUE) NO), WRARE AS OAUART:OF-GTARS: many years. If sho did not manago to hold him off, tho story would have to come to a close before John Paul Jones could do his famous sea fight with the Serapis. And what is tho uso of lugging John Paul into the story at all if ho is not to bo allowed to do his greatest stunt ? Of course the hero was there also, and heard tho famous Commodore exclaim: “ Sir, Ihave not yet begun to fight.” It was adandy fight, as overybody knows, and the hero was most con- veniently spared unburt till the very end of it, when he was bit on the head with a pike, and regained consciousness in London, with his sweetheart there to nurse bim back to life, A rap on tho head is a very convenient dramatic dovico to bridgo gaps in a story, and many novelists could use it frequently with Noah: 1 MADE A MISTAKE WHEN T BROUGHT YOU ABOARD. great benefit to their work. Ccomicbooks.com