Life, 1901-12-05 · page 16 of 20
Life — December 5, 1901 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains three humorous anecdotes rather than political cartoons: **"Paradise"**: A brief dialogue contrasting romantic ideals—one person finds paradise in golf and companionship; another in undivided romantic attention. **The Organ-Grinder Story**: French novelist Méry recounts how to permanently discourage street musicians. By enthusiastically encouraging an organ-grinder's first performance, Méry ensured the musician and his colleagues would avoid that street forever, assuming they'd been tricked into unwanted performances. The satire mocks both the persistence of urban street musicians (a common nuisance in the era) and the clever psychology of reverse psychology. **The Cherry Pie Anecdote**: A schoolteacher asks students to count cherry pit stones; young Johnny eats an entire pie to answer accurately (finding 142 stones), then justifies it as logical necessity. The humor targets both overly literal-minded children and perhaps pedantic schoolteachers. These are lighthearted domestic humor pieces reflecting early 20th-century urban life and child-rearing attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PARADISE. ne. A set of clubs, a ball upon the tee, And you, afire with love, along to see, And praise each aplendid drive or clever put, I trow were paradise enough for me, sue. A fig for such a case as that would be, Hil call it paradise enough when he ‘That seeks to have me with him shall forget There's anything around to pratse br: we. — Chicago Revord-Herald. DIFFERENT persons may not agree at au as to the desir- ability of band-organ music, but all city dwellers will agree that when the owners of the hand-organs have formed the habit of visiting certaln places regularly, itis hard to get rid of them. The New York Ledger tells an amusing story of the plan adopted by Méry, the French novelist. He was one day visiting Sandeaa, when an organ-grinder balted in front of the academictan’s house and began to play. Sandeau, with a gesture of trritation, rose from bis seat, took a half-franc plece from his pocket and flung itat the tormenter, calling out ashe did so: “Be quiet and go ya What!" sald Méry. ‘You encourage that detestable Kind of thing? That man will now return every day, and not only that. but he'll pass the word to all his comrades.” + Bat what am J to do?” asked Sandeau, “The street I live tn," replied Méry, “ts one of those In- fested by organ-grinders. I bad only Just moved into my apartment and opened my window for the first time, when one of them planted himself on the pavement opposite, 1 SERS At Willy “He ground out the ‘ Miserere * from * Il Trovatore. * manifested a lively satisfaction. “After the ‘Miserero’ he obliged me with a waltz, I took a chair and seated myself on the balcony. “Ie then played me the alr of one of the most popular songs of the day. I clapped my bands enthusiastically. “Then be passed to the alr of @ sentimental song; I called to my servant to come and listen to It. Encore!’ 1 cried, He played the tane over again, then politely took off bis cap and held tt toward me, where- upon I instantly banged the window shut. “Twent through the same pantomime with five or six of the colleagues of my frst musician, and then the cure was complete. Better than that, even ; for yesterday morning, as 1 was quietly taking the air, I saw approaching @ man tn vel- Vetcen trousers and with an organ on his bagk, “He raised his eyes to mine and quickened bis pace, after making a gesture of disdainful defiance, as much as to say: ‘You'd lke me to play you a tune or two, woulda't you? But you've taken me in once; you'll not do It again 1'"* ScCHOOL-TEACHERS sometimes ask thelr puplis queer ques- tlons, If one may belleve a story told by the youngest member of the Withington family, His mother one morning discovered shortage tn her supply of ples, baked the day before, aud her suspicions felt upon Johnny. “Jobnny," she sald, "do you know what became of thar cherry ple that was on the second shelf in the pantry t"* “Yes, ma‘am,” he replied, Tate ft, But I had to, “ You had to! exclaimed big astonished mother. “What do you mean, child?” “The teacher asked yesterday if any of us could tell her how many stones there are ina cherry ple, and I cou!dat And out without eating the whole ple, could 1? There's jast ® hundred and forty-two.""— Youth's Companton. Nor long ago Professor N. R. Leonard, who was catled recently to the presidency of the mining college at Lutte, Mont., feeling indisposed, consulted bis phystctan, a Gerinan: very aclentific and acknowledged as one of the leading men in his profession tn Montana. The doctor advised Mr, Leonard to work less at the desk, exercise more outdoors, and take beer as a tonic, something the professor had never cared for. The doctor met hts patient a few days later as be was leaving the college, and stopped to inquire how he was feeling. “ Abont the same,” replied the professor. “Did you take beer as I directed? physictan. * Yes," reaponded the professor ; “« 1 took ita few times, but It became so nauseous tha? | had to discontinue it." “How much did you take? “Why, I bought a whole bottie, and took @ spoonful before cach meal,’ answered the professor.— Argonaut. inquired te A NERVOUS-LOOKING girl consulted a doctor, who asked her what bhe was suffering frort. Her answer was as fol- lows: “I'm a telephone-girl, doctor, and the work Is a terribie strain on my nerves. The monotony of having a receiver constantly at my ears, and saying: ‘Hello !* tells upon ny nerves, When off duty 1 am always having ‘Hello!’ ringiog to my ears, and Iam constantly saying it, When I go to bed, Iwake up from sleep saying ‘Mello!’ And even when | kneel down to say my prayers I instinctively say ‘ Hello !* te fore I commence them."—Sporting Times. For salo by all Newsdealers in Great Britalo. The Inter- national News Company, C., England, AGENTS. Bream's Building, Chancery Lane, ECROPr-AN AGENTS—Mesars. Brentano, 37 Avenue del'Opera, Paris, Established 1823. WILSON Senet) Cee, Silk Petticoats. PARIS NOVELTIES. Brocaded Silk Skirts, (OTHE NANZ IS EVERYTHING” Esterbrook| on a pen guarantee of Lace and Chiffon White Taffeta Skirts, Taffeta Trimmed, Jersey Top Skirts. Mohair, Gloria and Moreen, Albatross and Zenana Underskirts. 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