Life, 1901-07-25 · page 5 of 20
Life — July 25, 1901 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Reflections of a Mirror - XIV" This illustration depicts a country inn scene where a young couple arrives—the girl is weeping and hysterical while the man appears agitated. The narrator observes them through an open door and notices a red-faced man entering. The caption explains the situation: the girl's father has arrived at the inn and discovered the couple. The father finds they've already been married, so he leaves without further confrontation—"be left." This appears to be a satirical commentary on Victorian-era sexual morality and parental authority. The humor lies in the father's impotent rage upon discovering his daughter has eloped with her lover and already secured marriage, thus making her situation socially respectable despite his disapproval. The "reflections of a mirror" framing device suggests observations of human nature and social hypocrisy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
xe ¢ , ¢ A 4 f fa % 4 ¢ C 4 a 4 to Z ¢ £ of 7) 4 vA 4 4 Z Z Z 4 ye | i as ARVANA SV SSVVAVAD PPD aT Pas PLES LOLS DENY REFLECTIONS OF A MIRROR— XIV. 1 went next to a country inn. One wn'ry day a young couple came to the place-the giri was weeping and hysterical, he comforting and loving. There was ® sound of a horse galloping up to the place, and through an open door | saw a blustering, red-faced han enter. It was the girs father, and 1 Judged there had been an elopement. There were bigh words, but when Ihe fathet found they had already been married and be could do nothing, he left, comicbooks.com