Life, 1900-05-24 · page 3 of 20
Life — May 24, 1900 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 435 **"An Argument"** (dialogue piece): A humorous exchange between a man and woman debating marriage. He wants to marry her to know her better; she refuses, arguing women are inherently unknowable. The dialogue escalates through witty volleys about gender differences, ending with his admission that even when married, couples barely see each other—making her refusal pointless. **"The Eclipse"** (large illustration): Shows a solar eclipse with silhouetted figures below. The accompanying poem references an "old man" who didn't see the eclipse, paired with dialogue mocking his marriage—the satire being that married couples are so distant they might as well be blind to each other's existence. Both pieces satirize marriage as isolating rather than unifying.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
It Would Seem So. ‘AN tho Prince hove taught the Queen the game? ‘Tis idle to question that— With a royal flush at the Transvaal shame, And her Majesty standing Pat. An Argument. HE: What! Marry me? You silly boy ! He: But I mean it. “You don't know what you would get. One never knows about a woman —so they say.” “T don’t want to marry you to know you.” “Ob! But my hateful ways. Have you considered that—" “T’ve thought of. that.” ‘How dare you, sir, admit that I can be hateful?” “Tdidn’t. You were merely arguing against the alliance, and I was on the other side.” “You were arguing by admission.” By patience. Proceed.” “Well, then. Iam fickle.” “ That is all right.” “* And selfish.” “Very well. “* And capricious.” “All women are.” “And you—” “Well?” “ Well, I have had you at your best, I suppose, but even then there have been times when you were—" “YES, I'M THE ‘ROUND ROBIN YOU READ ABOUT.” THE ECLIPSE. (May 28th}. The Earth to Mars: 1 BEG PARDON, OLD MAN, IT 18 80 DARK 1 DIDN'T SEE YOU. “Stupid. Granted,” ‘* And obstinate.” “True.” “And irritating.” “Right.” “And exacting. Think of all these differences. Why, you goose, it would never do, We married. Absurd!” “ But, my dear girl, you have forgot- ten one thing.” “And what may that be, sir?” “Why, you know if we were married, we wouldn't see nearly so much of each other as we do now.” Tom Masson.