Life, 1899-10-12 · page 8 of 20
Life — October 12, 1899 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "John Bull Does Love Fair Play" This satirical cartoon depicts **John Bull** (the personification of Britain) sitting on a seesaw labeled "SOUTH AFRICA," counterbalanced by a small figure on the other end. The image critiques British military conduct during the Boer War (1899-1902). The caption "John Bull Does Love Fair Play" is ironic—Britain, portrayed as an enormous, well-fed gentleman, vastly outweighs his opponent, suggesting the conflict is fundamentally unequal. The accompanying story about "Dimpleton" (likely a fictional everyman character) appears to address themes of honor, decency, and moral compromise in wartime. The cartoon satirizes British claims of fair play while depicting overwhelming military superiority against South African forces.
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moment before vanished like snow before the noonday sun. He smiled up at her the white and craven smile of uncondi- tional surrender, and said, with an idiotic attempt at brightness: “Well -my - dear - why-don't-you-ask- me-how-I-feel?” Between the fourth and fifth years of married life there is a look that attains its full growth ina woman's eyes, and the deadly poison of itisonly gathered by many engraftings of experience. Re- proach, restrained anger, fine contempt, Trepugnance, some slight pity, and a sense of immeasurable distance from the object, are its chief constituents, It was this look that Mrs. Dimpleton now fixed upon her busband. Then, moving slowly toward the window, she raised the curtain, and ignoring his question, said with the glacial accents which somehow conveyed instantly that she was now a wife in name only, but still dignified, still bound to do her duty to the base partner of her wretched ex- istence: “Is there anything you want ?” “Water,” said Dimpleton, instantly, “Tee.water—a barrelful,” he added, facetiously and feebly. JONN BULL DOES LOVE FAIR PLAY. Mrs. Dimpleton displayed no haste. She moved again slowly across the room, touched the bell, and whispered a mo- ment to the maid outside the door to bping the longed-for relief. Dimpleton went on another propitiatory tack. **T thought you would prefer to order the water for me, my dear,” be said, “as the servants—might—not—know.” “They know,” suid his wife, coldly. “ "They—aasisted you last night. You will understand,” she said, ‘‘that I can never forgive you for this, NEVER! I am glad that you have revealed yourself in your true light. Of course I cannot love you again as I have done. That is all “COMPRESSED HEIR.” past—dead. I thought that you were at least a man. You will try to excuse yourself, but it is utterly useless for you to do so. Nothing can wipe out the dark stain of last night. Tosec youas I have seen you is not to be forgotten. You might have had the decency—” There was a knock at the door and the ice-water came. Dimpleton drank. “You might have had the decency to have gone to a hotel and not obtruded yourself on me. You have not only killed my love for you, but ecery atom of respect is also gone.” Dimpletor drank again—deeply. “‘Itis not only gone, but can never return. I never could have the slight- est feeling for any man who has made a—a—" Mrs. Dimpleton was a refined and sensitive soul, and the word jarred on her, but it was the only one that exactly fitted the situation, ‘a beast uf himself.” In the meantime, Dimpleton hadgotten what he most needed. The cringing, coward creature of a moment before was now no more. The water and his wife's words had done the work. Tearing the towel from his head, he rose up in bed, « comicbooks.com