Life, 1900-02-08 · page 8 of 20
Life — February 8, 1900 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 108 **"Financial Expressions"** (left cartoon): A man shows a tattoo artist his back covered in tattoos while a sign reads "Professor Stickem, Tattoo Artist, $2 per tat, India Ink." The dialogue satirizes marital conflict—the wife dislikes his new tattoo, but he defends it as fashionable. The joke centers on masculine stubbornness in personal grooming choices despite spousal disapproval. **"Unnatural History"** (right section): Two illustrated poems with accompanying cartoons. "The Pigeon Toad" depicts schoolboys playing roughly with a creature. "The Irish Bull" by Carolyn Wells parodies Irish dialect humor, a common period stereotype, using an exaggerated tall-tale format about a bull. These appear to be humorous verse commentary on children's behavior and ethnic stereotypes typical of early-20th-century American humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PROFESSOR STICKEM, FINANCIAL EXPRESSIONS, “DRAWING ON HIM FOR A SMALL AMOUNT Mns. T.: I'm sorry you don't like it. I had so hoped it would please you Mr. T.: (earnestly’: But it does, and Ido! Mrs. T.: But that’s all the good it does to try to please a husband. As mother always said, men never notice what you wear, Mr. T.: But, my darling, I said— Mns. T.: (musing regretfully at the mirror): At the shop they all thought it very becoming. Me. T.: 8odo I. Mns. T.: [rather liked it too. ‘This blue is my particular color. everybody says. Mr. T.: So do I, my— Mrs. T.: I was three hours selecting it. too. Mr. T.: It was worth the trouble. I'm sure. Mrs. T.: But then, of course, if you don't like it— Mr. T.: (aexperately): But [do like it ! [love it! ! Mus. T.: They said they'd exchange it if you objected. Mr. T.: But, drat it! I tell you— Mus. T.: Oh, don't say you like it when you don’t. Besides, it does no good to try to deceive me, There was something about your way of saying you liked it that showed me you thought it horrid. Me. T.: But I assure you— Mrs, T.: Then I could read it in your eyes, too. It seems impossible to get you interested in anything I wear any more. There wasatime when you used to notice what I had on, UNNATURAL HISTORY. SEUUND BKKLES, THE PIGEON TOAD. ‘THE PIGEON TOADS a funny little beast, He's found in every land from West to East, The children bring bim in, to our amaze, And though we try to turn bim out, be stays, He's nover seen with soldiers, nor with fops, But with the schoolboys how he jumps and hops. Te TEA oN TL THE IRISH BULL. MONG tho stock jokes it is oft averred 2A. Tho Irish Bull is best of all the heard, He has uo points, ho has no head or tail, But many a jovial party he'll regale. And all his hearors will with laughter choke, Excopt bis brother John, who sees no joke. Carolyn Wells, comicbooks.com