Life, 1899-12-21 · page 14 of 20
Life — December 21, 1899 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate pieces from *Life* magazine: 1. **"A Suppressed Dispatch"** (main cartoon): Two elderly men read newspapers by lamplight while a servant woman (Delia) departs, saying the husband is too "palaverin'" (talkative). The joke satirizes domestic discord caused by a man's excessive talk. 2. **"The Thoughtful Yardstick"**: A humorous poem about a yardstick pondering buying "a pair and a half of shoes" for its three feet—wordplay on the measurement unit. 3. **"The Thoughtful Yardstick"** (prose section): Commentary on the Boer War, praising British newspapers for fair coverage of Boer fighters. The author notes Britain's Christian culture paradoxically admires martial prowess and "hitting back"—a contradiction to Christian teachings about "turning the other cheek." This is gentle satire of British hypocrisy regarding Christian values versus imperial warrior culture. The circular inset illustration appears to depict battle action, likely referencing the ongoing conflict.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
538 V.B.: Delia, I tell you, it takes a man, after all, to arrango,theso things, Tact didl it. Mus, V. BB. (entering kitchen only to sind Delia backing out): How do you do, Delia, What, you aro not going, ure you ? Dewta: Yes'm, Iam. Oi've bin reflictin’ the mather over, an’ tho placo won't suit, Mrs, V. B.: But what makes you think that? Dett1a: Suro, ma’am, your husband 18 altogither too palaverin’, Thom’s tho koind thot always makes the most trouble, «LIFE - The Thoughtful Yardstick. YARDSTICK thity to himself did muse As ho walked along the streot, “I must buy a pair and a half of shoes Because I have three fect.” ‘arolyn Wells. HE Boers are getting tolerably respectful treatment from the British newspapers, and a fair measure of justice is done to their fighting qualities. Fifteen centuries, or there- A SUPPRESSED DISPATCH. abouts, of Christian preaching has not availed to climinate. or even to weaken the British propensity toadmire an adver- sary who hits back hard. There is an element of fair play about that which is to beadmired. Until British Christianity is perfected to the point of turning the other cheek, it will neither expect, nor understand, nor admire that sort of forbearance in anyone else.