Life — December 2, 1899 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents a serialized romantic comedy strip titled "How would you like to be the ice-man?" The narrative follows a courtship: Angeline shyly proposes to a handsome stranger named Adolphus, who agrees to marry her. The couple then engages in typical Victorian-era preparations—shopping for carpets, furniture, and clothing—before a minister conducts their wedding ceremony. The satire targets romantic fiction conventions and the materialism surrounding marriage. The "ice-man" opening suggests Angeline is proposing unconventional life scenarios, while the subsequent scenes mock the emphasis on acquiring possessions and formal procedures that supposedly constitute happiness. The illustrative vignettes on the left (a "savage Indian," a well-dressed gentleman, a stag, and Cupid) appear to reference classical romantic archetypes, further satirizing sentimental storytelling traditions popular in the era.