Life — December 26, 1901 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ww. L, JACOBS. It {8 painful to realize that one’s mind Is 80 coarse and one’s per- ceptions so dull that tho only course is to throw up your job. In full enjoyment of theso reflections I was sitting at my desk one morning, the wicked cartoon before me, when the Punctilious Boston Lady of Stern Morality was announced. After some con- versation on other matters, she remarked, with indications of an inward struggle between a dosire to be clviland a righteous spirit in revolt: “You will pardon my saying it, but I confess toa most un- pleasant surpriso in this week’s number.” Involuntarily I turned my oyes toward tho damning sheet upon the desk beside me, and with a smile, half brazen, half apologetic —such a smile as disfgures the face of tho hardened burglar when ho is caught with tho silver in his hands—I replied, “ Yes, we seem to have surprised many of our readors this wok.” “IT am not easily shocked,” sho continued, her chin a little higher than before, “but I was hardly prepared for such a dis- gusting picture in a paper that valued its reputation.” This was clear. But I held on to my smilo. Mecbanteally I raised the copy of Lire from tho desk, so that the corrupting picture was before us both, and said: “ Tt certainly is unfortunate as it turns out.” “Tdon’t mean that drawing,” sho repliod. “That is innocent onough. I mean tho one on the cover.” ‘Tho drawing on the cover showed a portly gentleman with an enormous waist asking his flancée to come to his heart, ‘The girl in the picture alludes to an obstacle in the way—or something to that effect. ' “That one!" Texclaimed. “Why, nobody has complained of WM, M, WALKER, that!” Andagain I displayad the wicked cartoon, “This is the bad ono.” “Not at all, Thoro 1s nothing in that to disturb the purest mind; whoreas tho drawing on the cover {s offensively coarse— disgusting!” «But this is the one of which so many of our readers are com- plaining. No one has mentioned the other.” “Thon I can only say that many of your readers havo most peculiar standards of propricty.” And we all agreed with bor. Paying the Piper. Of course we havo had some fun; our share of it, porhaps. Tho Matrimonial Agonoy, for instance, six yoars ago, yielded richly to the acre, But with it came stings of remorse, It should be stated, incidentally, that we abhor tho practical joke; and for the practical jokor, those words that adequately ex- press our opinion are unfit to print. Our “ Matrimonial Agency” consisted in publishing portraits of two or more men and women every wook, setting forth thoir ad- vuutages as husbands and as wives, We did not suppose our “Agency” would be takon seriously. And in justice to our own countrymen, wo must say that few Americans wore deceived. From abroad, however, wo began to receive letters, Some en- closed money a8 a guaranteo of good faith, and indicated the por- trait with whose original they wished to be placed in immediate communication. These sultors—always men—set forth their ad- vantages of birth and personal appearance, for of money they were comicbooks.com