Life, 1899-12-07 · page 9 of 20
Life — December 7, 1899 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 493 The main illustration by Paul West depicts a fashionable woman in an elaborate patterned gown arranging flowers, with the caption "I do hope I shall look better to-night than the last time you played for me, Professor" and a response "It will be impossible not to, Madame." This is a society satire about vanity and appearance. The woman's concern that the "Professor" (likely a musician or performer) might somehow affect her looks suggests anxiety about social presentation among the wealthy. The article "The Dewey Navy Arch" discusses a proposed memorial arch to honor Admiral George Dewey and naval heroes, debating whether it should be called the "Dewey Arch" or "Navy Arch." The lower cartoon showing "A Schooner Going Into the Dock" appears to be a separate humorous illustration, though its specific meaning is unclear from the visible text.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
te es aw ‘a Pave West DPESSOR,” IT WILL BE EEMPOSSIBLE NOT TO, MADAME." his markctman, fishman, vegetable man, iceman, carpenter, plumber, clothes re- pairer, laundryman and all the rest of his creditors, and after explaining the object of his visit, and settling up in full, he returned home, flushed with triumph and in the proud consciousness that he owed no man a dollar, It was two months later, at eight thirty on the morning of the second day of the month, as Von Blumer sat at the break- Py DO HOPE I SHALL SING BETTER TO-NIGHT THAN THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED FOK fast table comfortably reading the paper, that Mrs, Von Blumer, ex- cusing herself from the room, presently returned bearing in her arms a large tray, which she im- pressively placed in front of her lord and master. On the tray was a pile of heterogeneous envelopes a foot high. “What's this!” ejaculated Von Blumer, ‘*These,” replied his wife, as he 493 glared successively at the names of the grocer, butcher, gasman, iceman and twenty others, “are only a few little bills, my dear, that have accumulated since you began paying cash for everything!” Tom Masson. The mer Arch. HE arch as it stands in “staff” is the Dewey Arc, with Cousin George's name on the north side, with words of grocting to him and his on their return, Tho arch as it may stand in marble, if tho means and the place are provided, will be the Navy Arch, and will stand in honor of all our illustrious sea-genorals, Cousin George among tho rest. This has been the plan from tho beginning, and occasion was recently taken to emphasize it when the Admiral’s disposition of his Washington houso was so unpleasantly criticised. Tho oczasion for emphasis was very ill chosen, and tho choice has naturally been resented by the Admiral's friends. The Committee has appeared to desire all the support it could got for the arch as tho Dewey Arch, and then all availablo addi- tional backing for it as the Navy Arch, That procedure bas an ungraceful appearance, Still tho Committee's main purposo is wiser than its mothods. ‘Tho arch in marble should be tho Navy Arch, and it should not bo, in formal intention and by inscription, exclusively or pro- dominantly a Dewey Arch, though if posterity chooses to call it the Dewey Arch, wo can't help it and it will do no harm. A SCHOONER GOING INTO THE DOC,