Life — August 29, 1901 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Not Yet a Coquette" This page from *Life* magazine features a portrait sketch of a young woman in profile, wearing a floral-patterned garment. The accompanying poem expresses frustration with someone named Bertha, who apparently doesn't understand social timing or romantic convention. The speaker complains that Bertha is "coy" and "immature," suggesting she should recognize when it's appropriate to commit to a relationship ("put one out"). The satirical point targets young women who either feign innocence or genuinely lack social sophistication about courtship expectations—mocking both Bertha's immaturity and, implicitly, the rigid social rules governing women's romantic behavior in this era.