Life, 1902-11-20 · page 15 of 22
Life — November 20, 1902 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains four brief humorous pieces typical of early Life magazine: 1. **"A Change"** mocks Noah's ark, with Noah noting that critics who mocked his voyage at departure are absent at homecoming—a joke about fair-weather skeptics. 2. **"Humorous"** satirizes medical progress: a surgeon discusses removing organs (appendices, stomachs) with dark comedy about modern surgery's expanding scope. 3. **"Enjoyment"** contains sharp social satire about automobile goggles: a chauffeur admits they're useful partly because they *prevent seeing pedestrians* in the driver's way—mocking both early motorists' recklessness and their indifference to public safety. 4. **"The Truth of It"** and the widow cartoon offer domestic satire: husbands reluctantly fund wives' expenses and wardrobes, yet secretly enjoy displaying well-dressed wives publicly—cynical commentary on marriage economics. The page reflects early 20th-century anxieties about new technology (automobiles), medical advancement, and changing gender/economic dynamics in marriage.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
445 A Change. # WwW ELL,” said Noah, as he hunted for adry spot on the top of Ararat, ‘‘a lot of people came down to the pier to josh us when we started, but Idon't see any of them around to poke fan at our home-coming.” Humorous. ” Bt what will yon do when all the vermiform appendices shall have been removed?” The great surgeon smiled. “I> was reading only to-day,"’ he said, “that the stomach may be taken out.” “Without killing the patient?” “How fanny you aro!" exclaimed the great surgeon, and laughed outright. Enjoyment. e ‘W HY, yes,” re- plied the chauffeur, ‘ the gog- gles aro rather neces- sary to one’s thorough en- joyment of the sport. For not only do they exclude the dust, but they hinder one seeing persons who chance to get in the way, until one is fairly upon them. Oh, yes, indeed !" The Truth of It. HOUGH grudgingly, with many frowns, He pays the bills for her new gowns, No husband ever scorns to sce His wife attired becomingly. And when he notes with happy face How well she looks in silk and lace, And proudly takes her walking through The throngs upon the avenue, Tle feels a thrill of just content, Nor cares a hang how much he's spent. William Hoster, ‘A POPULAR WicoW, “WHY so DisstaL?” “1 AM AFRAID OUR WEDDING TRIP WILL TAKE ALL THE CASH I HAVE SavED Ur!" “WHAT OP IT? A WEDDING TRIP ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN TWO OR THRER YEARS." A PAIR OF PINCUERS. comicbooks.com