Life, 1903-02-05 · page 11 of 24
Life — February 5, 1903 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical sections: **"Life" header section**: A poem about a scrap of paper lace that traveled via train to the Western sea, then hospital bed, comforting a wounded soldier. The illustration shows a bedridden patient. The satire appears to address how small comforts from home sustain soldiers during wartime. **"Society" section**: Satirizes Washington D.C. social circles, mocking how wealthy young men without genuine qualifications can enter Congress simply by possessing financial means and social connections. The illustration depicts well-dressed socialites, critiquing class-based political access. **"Success" and "First Plumber" sections**: Brief humorous pieces about social pretension and domestic life—one about the Dunbar's social climbing, another a joke about a plumber's repeat visits. The overall tone mocks American class systems and wartime sentimentality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
It dodged a wreck, and it entered storms, And once ‘twas the last train through! ‘Then forth it put to the Western sea, Where the speeding waves upcurled ; And the Cupids and love - birds sailed away To the other side of the world O wonderful scrap of paper lace! It went to a hospital bed Where a homesick soldier turned And would not be comforted ; tossed and And somehow the soldier felt that day Soft arms, whose pressure he knew, And home. and love, and health, and hope Thrilled him through and through. And he felt new love for our Uncle Sam Who had lent his trains and men And ships, that the whole wide world apart, Two hearts might meet again. Florence E. Pratt. i Society. SOCIETY here has been eartched this winter by the election to Congress of several wealthy young men who have wives possessed of social aspirations. — Washington Letter, Society, everywhere, is a factor in our complex life, one way or another. Indianapolis society, for instance,affects literature, mostly ; Newport society, ethics, But Washington society is a political factor. The time has been that any man who was twenty-five years old and had lived in the United States » four years was eligible to Con- gress. Now, of course, a man has moreover to be sufficiently well heeled to enable his womenfolks to go the pace set by Washington society. This does not mean that only rich men may enter Con- gress. There are almostalways interests to which amember may sell himself for enough to put up the necessary front. Success. | .HE Darbar seems to have been quite a success. Tn the first place, it exploded the popular notion that Kitchener would never smile again. Then Curzon fairly outdid himself. Everybody says his superciliousness is riper and more massive than ever. Moreover, the Nizam of Hyderabad spent half a million dollars in Oriental fashion, thus demonstrating that the right man can shine socially even though he keeps his women in the background. Last, but not least, India’s starving millions went back to their starving, after it all over, with a distinctly clearer and more adequate conception of their unimpor- tance. 7VIRST PLUMBER: Well, my doctor just telephoned "me that something was wrong. Seconp PLumper: He has been calling on you regularly, hasn't he? “Yes, but now I'm going to return his Fad MARRIAGES are still made in heaven ; but subject to +¥ the import duty. comicbooks.com