Life, 1903-07-23 · page 7 of 28
Life — July 23, 1903 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon, titled "MOLTO SEMPLICE—2 FLATS" (a musical term meaning "very simply—two flats"), depicts two well-dressed men in top hats standing before a large moon, with a small cupid figure below. The joke appears to be a visual pun on musical terminology. "Two flats" in music refers to the key signature, but the cartoon's title suggests a play on words—likely about residential apartments ("flats"). The cupid and romantic setting suggest this is satirizing something about relationships or marriage, though the specific target is unclear without additional context. The right page contains book reviews and a brief dialogue between two rabbits about being "only been married eight months," suggesting domestic humor was a recurring theme in this issue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
79 number of rather exciting matters a century ago, and has put an account of them on paper in a manner which testifies anew to “Qs” skill as an interpreter of the past and of human nature. (Charles Scribner's Sons. $1.50.) A Few Remarks, by Simeon Ford, mine host of the Grand Union Hotel, contains a series of after-dinner speeches, some of which were doubtless funnier at the end of a banquet than in the cold gray print of the morning after, but many of which are funny any time and all the time. (Doubleday, Page and Company. $1.00.) A story of A. D. 1829, told in the idio- matic English of 1629, and introducing women dressed in the crinoline costumes of not earlier than 1853, greets the reader of current historical novels when he takes up Peggy O'Neal. Apart from these little anachronisms, the dab of history inculeated by the book is well told and entertaining. (Drexel Biddle, Philadelphia. $1.50.) J. B. Kerfoot, 7IRST RABBIT: Well, my wife and I are up against it. Seconp Ransit: What's the matter? “Why, we've only been married eight months, and we ran completely out of names for the children."’ Presents. T[PHUS to receive only seventeen tons of presents, and worth a scant million, would have crashed any or- dinary bride of her station. But Gwendolyn laughed buoyantly. “It's because of the car fz she argued, with fine courage. ‘* The rest will be along presently.”” Dear girl! How was our natural pity lost in our admiration ! T is a wise musical comedy that knows its own father. MOLTO SEMPLICE.—2 FLATS. D. Cupid. Humoresque. Op. Tue CUAPERON. comicbooks. com