Life, 1901-08-29 · page 13 of 20
Life — August 29, 1901 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains three satirical pieces: **"Gone Off with a Handsomer Man"** (top): Two burglars debate robbing a widow of $10,000. The joke inverts typical morality—they feel sympathy for the widow but plan to rob her wealthy male advisor instead, apparently seeing it as more justified. **"Postponed"** (left cartoon): A caricatured burglar holds a gun, illustrating the main story above about delayed theft. **"A Doomed Woman Either Way"** (middle): A doctor warns a patient (Mr. Tiffington's wife) that attending a wedding after recovering from influenza ("the grip") risks her life. The husband says she'll die if she misses it—satirizing the social pressure on women to fulfill obligations regardless of health consequences. **"Getting Aid from the Government"** (bottom): A boy defends breaking a promise by citing something he read in the *Tribune* about Cuba, suggesting the government breaks promises too. This appears to reference American foreign policy regarding Cuba, mocking political hypocrisy. The page satirizes burglary ethics, women's constrained choices, and government dishonesty.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GONE. OFF WITHA HANDSOMER MAN. Postponed. T was one o'clock in the morning. In the deepest shadow of the piazza of the little suburban villain which our story opens, sat two burglars, earnestly discussing the affair that had brought them hither. A light in one of the upper windows, which had only just been extinguished, had made them postpone for a while their attempt, and this delay had “He's an old cove they've known all their lives. He's going to advise her how to invest her money. In the meantime, she’s got it all upstairs witb her ina black bag."” The first burglar was silent for a while. “Jim,” he said at last, ‘I haven't the heart to do it. She's a widow. Let’s wait.”” “ Wait!’ exclaimed the second burglar.‘ For what?” “ Why," said his companion, “wait until the old cove has it. Then rob him.” A Doomed Woman Either Way. given the first burglar an opportunity to ask his partner the circumstances L which had led to this particular graft. “The lady who occupies this house,” whispered the second burglar, “ has ten thousand dollars in cash, She drew it out of the bank yesterday, and to-morrow she will turn it over to the old and trusted friend of her late husband.”” “Who is he?” burglar. OCTOR: Mr. Tiffington, your wife will risk her life if she attends that wedding so soon after having the grip. Mr. TIFFINGTON : miss it. Well, doctor, she'll die if she has to Getting Aid from the Government. LIMSON: Willie, you promised me faithfully you wouldn't do that. Witte: But, papa, I heard you read something from the Tribune about Cuba the other day that said a bad promise was better broken than kept. asked the first