Life, 1903-04-16 · page 7 of 22
Life — April 16, 1903 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a serialized romantic story titled "A Proved Romance" with accompanying illustrations. The main narrative concerns Dorothy Hopkins, daughter of a wealthy squire, who encounters a man named Jim on a country road near Milltown. Jim reveals he's a failure—went to New York to become a writer but struggled financially and never succeeded. The satirical elements target **romantic melodrama conventions** of the era. The story's sentimental tone ("It was a beautiful, balmy day in June") and plot devices (chance encounter, confession of poverty, emotional reunion) parody popular serialized romance fiction that Life magazine's readers would recognize and mock. The various boxed advertisements and society notices interspersed throughout mock the magazine's own commercial interests in promoting consumer goods and social announcements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SEE UOW TUE COLOR Mas RUN IN THIS WalsT, “Deep, ™: A Proved Romance. Note: The tendency of the modern story is towards exaggeration, Often the reader has to take entirely unsupported te word of the author for alleged facts and cir cumstances that constitute the plot. Is it not time this thing was stopped P T was a beautiful, balmy day in June; the 17th of June, 1901, the year before Commissioner Greene became head of the Police Depart- ment,and also the year before Platt retired from the ma- chine. The Sun sent his scorching rays with furnace- like heat on the parched earth. See report of Weather Bureau for June 17, 1901, With her eyescast down, Dorothy Hopkins walked slowly along the country road of Milltown, lost in thought. There were lines of care about her eyes and mouth. Sho was the daughter of Squire Hopkins, the wealthiest man in those parts, Bradstreet. Hopkins, Merchant, W. D. FE. It's siMrLY RUINED 1 ¥, I MAS DE WUST LUCK} COLOR #EEMS TU RUN IN OUI PAsBILY !” and the girl was his only child, at that time just seventeen years of age. BIRTHS.—Mrs. Jane Hopkins. wife of Sqatre Hopkins, of ® daughter.—ailitown Bugle, Jane 17, 1884, Of a sudden the face of Dorothy lighted up, and a blush kindled in her cheeks at sight of a manly figure rapidly advancing towards her on the road. “Jim, Mr. James Barker, of New York, ts {n town for a few days.—Milltown Bugle, June 16, 1901. ”’ she cried, for it was Jim. The man wore a plain grey suit. As he saw Dorothy, a flush over- spread his countenance and he quick- ened his pace, After their ardent embrace there was a pause, during which Dorothy anxiously scanned James's face, At last ne spoke: “Dorothy,” he said, “I am a fall- ure. I went to New York to make a name writing, but I have not done it. I have not been prosperous; at times I have been very poor. ROSENTHAL. G. Watch, $5. Ang. 7 1901, ROSENTHAL. Sult case with contents, $15. Sept , 1901 LEVY Trank and contents, $10. June 14, 1901, “Tam afraid, dear, I shall have to try anothercountry. I have succeeded in procuring my passage to England and there, perhaps, I shall be able to start again where compe- tition is not so keen and merci- less as it is here, WANTED —Men to work thetr passage to Engiand on fast cattle steamers. Apply at office, = “s Icame but to say ‘ good- by.’ No, it is true I have no money, but I will get along somehow.’ She thrust a paper into \ his hand, [The Mitown Bank. Pay to | the order of James Barker the sum of one bundred dollars. Dorothy Hopkine, He recoiled. “I can’t take it,’ he cried, slipping the paper into his pocket. Then, with a choke in his voice, he murmured : “* Did you endorse it?’” Unable to say more, but feeling “wno'’s THE victim?” comicbooks.com