Life, 1901-04-11 · page 15 of 22
Life — April 11, 1901 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains three distinct pieces of social commentary from the Boer War era (early 1900s): **"Sunday" (top):** A romantic poem illustrated with silhouettes of a young couple on a winter walk. It celebrates innocent Victorian courtship—Belinda eagerly awaits her "beau's" Sunday visit, they walk in snowy landscapes, sit by the hearth. The satire is gentle, poking fun at the melodramatic earnestness of young romance. **"Her Secret" (bottom left):** A brief joke where a reverend asks Mrs. Lureino how she attracts charitable donors. Her answer: advertising "Dancing" on invitation cards works nearly as well as promises of heaven—satirizing how secular entertainment competes with religious devotion for attention. **"What Tommy Atkins Says" (right):** Commentary on the Boer War (1899-1902), where "Tommy Atkins" (British soldier slang) praises Boer fighters as skilled guerrilla warriors but claims British troops would win in open combat. The editorial rebuttal notes this is false: British forces actually suffered defeats in open terrain (Majuba Hill, Spion Kop), suggesting the war dragged on because Boers avoided British strengths.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JHERE'S not a Sunday afternoon But finds him stepping down Just at the corner, when the car Comes jingling out from town And nudging, nodding, whispering, The gossips watch him go To knock once more at her dear door— It is Belinda’s beau. “He's on the way, he’s on the way!” Her heart begins to beat At eager footsteps hurrying ‘Along the frozen street “ He's here, he's here !"" it sings forjoy Atsight of him, and lo, For ull it’s winter, roses bloom To greet Belinda’s beau. If it should chance the weather's fine, Beneath her dimpled chin Her bonnet’s tied, a monstrous muff She slips her fingers in, To tread with him her well-worn paths Across the sparkling snow That take into a fairy-land Belinda and her beau. Then home they turn when early dusk Creeps on, a starlit haze, To stir the embers on the hearth Into a fitful blaze ; While very near, although apart, O trembling, timid, happy time, Before the rudd: They sit, Belinda and her beau. Her Secret. REVEREND DR. GOLLIE: But how do you manage to interest so many in your charitable work? Mrs. Lureino: Well, doctor, I find that a card with “Dancing " on the lower corner seems almost as attractive as the promise of future bliss. When love that dyes the cheek And shines in sorry stolen glance Still hesitates to speak ! They part without a word, and yet, Without a word, they know Next Sunday when it comes around, Will bring Belinda’s beau ! MEW. What Tommy Atkins Says. HE Boer ts a rough-tooking beggar tn the tel Wear no uniform, ‘nde don't know enough abou sol drill to Keep "Imself warm ; bat ‘e can fight in “is own boomin’ style, Which ain't our style. If ’e'd come out on the veldt "nd fight us onr way, we'd lick ‘im every time ; bat when It comes to Oghting tn the kopjes, why the dy, "hd If the rest of Europe don't think so, only let them ‘ave a try at ‘im and see Ht when ‘e ‘as shot you, 'e acts like a blessed Christian, ‘nd hears you no malice. like & bloomtn’ South Sea cocoanut, not much to look at outside, bat white ‘nd sweet when yer know ‘im, ‘nd it's when yon are wounded ‘nd a prisoner that you get chance to know ‘Im, see? This is very fair of Tomm: than his compatriots at hon But Tommy makes one mistake when he sa If ‘e’d come out on the veldt ‘nd fight us our way, we'd lick tim every time.”” Now the Boer has come ont in the open more than once, and every time he has done it things have gone very badly for Tommy Atkins. Majuba Hill and Spion Kop were very much in the open, and on both occasions Tommy retired with a certain rapidity and in bad order. There is a feeling—outside of England—that if the Boers had half as many men as Tommy, the war would not have lasted a week. he is much fairer Comicbooks.com