Life, 1901-12-26 · page 5 of 33
Life — December 26, 1901 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 551 This page contains **literary and humorous content** rather than political cartoons. It features: 1. **"The Stuck-Up Doll"** — A Christmas-themed fable poem about a vain doll in a store who scorns a humble monkey toy, only to end up abandoned while the monkey is cherished by a child. The satire targets pride and materialism. 2. **Illustrations** accompany the poem, showing the doll's fate and the monkey's joy. 3. **Comic dialogues and brief humorous pieces** below, including "An Unpropitious Time" (about church attendance) and sections on business, old age, and animals. The page's humor relies on **observational satire about everyday life** — vanity, social pretension, and human contradiction — rather than specific political figures or events.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(A CHRISTMAS-TIDE FABLE.) —= YWAS a doll who wore, in a Christmas store, ‘The laurels that fall to few ; With lips of crimson, and locks galore, ‘And eyes of a china blue. Her neighbor near was a monkey queer, Tied fast to a painted sticl (But paint a mother with never a fear Might allow her child to lick). This doll, I swear (‘tis a case not rare), Was sillily, blankly vain— Her basis clothes, and the wavy hair That covered her sawdust brain! And she made a mock of the humble stock Surrounding her shining niche ; She smoothed and flaunted her silken frock With many a haughty twitch. WALL STREET ON THE 241M OF DECEMBER “WOULD YOU KINDLY GIVE A POOR MAN A NICKEL TO GkT ACKOss tHe Perry?” “wat? goroan! yo “THANK GOD! HILLIAnD, 18 IT yout UVE BEEN BUYING CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.” “PIPTY DOLLARS? ALL VVE GOT Is AN EL! TICKET. TIPPING THE JANITOR.” ! arp you craz: LEND ME FIFTY DOLLARS. ve BEEN 55] While the monkey sighed (he was lacking pride), ‘And hated his fuzzy paw, And out of his beady eyes he tried To gaze at the doll with awe. For of course it’s seen that a monkey mean At eighteen cents, ah me, Is only dirt to a waxen queen At a dollarand seventy-three. But the doll, all shorn, and her trappings torn, In a corner lies for days, While a dainty maid, in careless scorn, With some other trinkets plays. And I know a boy with a single toy (A poor little, lame little wight)— The monkey, battered and loved, with joy He hugs to his breast all night! Edwin L. Sabin, An Unpropitious Time. ME. HIGHBLOWER: You must surely come to church to-day. The sermofigis on the dishonesty of business methods. Hicustower: Then I must wait until next Sunday. I have an important deal to put through this week. THE man of one idea need not be ashamed. One is a good fair average. THERE was an old man from Tarentam, Who chewed on his teeth-till he bent 'em, When he found they were bent, He said, "I don’t,care a cent, For you know I don‘town ‘em—I rent OVE creates illusions without making any provision for their future maintenance. Economy. BRAMBLE: I made a good bargain with Jones just now. Tuorne: What was it? “I'm to let him have the exclusive use of my automobile and he’s to pay for half the repairs.’”” “ Y ES, she has a passion for animals.” 7 “* Dogs or husbands? ”* comicbooks.com