Life — July 26, 1900 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a scene from a dramatization or comic titled "Dick Wittington" (likely referencing the classic English folk tale). The image shows an indoor scene with figures in formal/period dress and decorative elements like flowers and lanterns. The caption presents dialogue between two characters: a man explaining he kissed a woman because she "looked so witching," and the woman objecting that she's married. He responds that her husband would have done the same in his position. The satire targets male behavior and social hypocrisy—the man essentially excuses improper conduct toward a married woman by claiming any man would behave identically. It mocks both the double standard that permits men certain liberties and the self-serving logic men use to justify inappropriate advances. The "witching" pun plays on appearance versus actual propriety.