Life, 1904-01-07 · page 13 of 36
Life — January 7, 1904 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains three distinct humorous pieces: **Main Illustration & Story ("Mother Tariff and Her Infant Industries"):** A editor named Cartington accidentally submits his love letter (with blue ribbon) to his assistant, who rejects it as manuscript. When Cartington's romantic gesture is returned by Miss Dimpleton with a formal rejection slip, he's publicly humiliated. The satire mocks both workplace incompetence and the pretensions of romantic gestures. **"One Advantage":** A brief joke contrasting Bocker's cynical view of college education—not about learning, but teaching boys money management—with Micker's optimism. **"From the Diary of a Bishop":** A satirical diary entry where an Episcopal bishop obsesses over ceremonial details (fittings, "thirty-eight-ring ceremony") while confessing exhaustion and self-doubt. The satire targets clerical vanity and the gap between ecclesiastical dignity and human weakness. All three pieces use satirical humor targeting professional and social pretension common to the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
her name and address in one corner. “ There, sir!” she exclaimed, ‘ every- thing is now correct.” The next morning Mr. Cartington hurried down to his editorial labors. A mass of proofs lay on his desk to be read. The morning's mail confronted him. An important contributor was waiting for an interview. Taking the blue ribbon bedecked uscript of his lady-love from his pocket, ab- sently he placed it among the others, and in his preoccupation forgot all about it. His assistant, however, was an ob- servant young man, When he saw the blue ribbon he pounced upon it while his superior at Inueh. “Here, Miss Jones,’’ he said to the typewriter, as he langhed over its con- tents, ‘‘you may as well put a rejec- tion slip with this, and fire it back and get it out of the way, What idiots these young girls are. What awful rot It was not until the next morning MOTHER TARIFF AND UER INFANT INDUSTRIES. that lc Mr. Cartington discovered his Jim,” he said to his colaborer, “where's that manuscript with blue ribbon that was on my desk yester- day?” “Did you read it “Why, no—I—” “Well, I did. was enough, anyway. Poor, innocent girl. know Cartington turned deadly pale, and clutched his desk in agony. At this moment a messenger boy, bearing in his hand a package, entered the room. With it was a letter addressed to him. He tore open the envelope. It con- tained the following legend : aid Jim. The blue ribbon I fired it back. How little she In returning herewith your letters and one diamond ring, with which you bave honored her, Miss Dimpleton wishes tt understood that theit rejection does not imply lack of merit, but merely that she finds them unsulted to her present uses. One Advantage. ‘JK MICKER: Do you believe in a * college education ? Bocker: Yes father how to t money. it teaches a boy's care of his From the Diary of a Bishop. " AM tired out to-night. I can The Bang-Upp wedding is day after to-morrow. I am just home from the tailor's, where I stood two hours to have my new canonicals fitted. . It is to be the thirty-eight-ring cere- mony. I have rehearsed and re- hearsed, but I can’t help feeling neryous. I begin to distrust myself, Episcopal calibre ? Bah ! In the morning Iam tired to-night. Am lof I shall feel better. comicbooks.com