Life, 1904-07-07 · page 11 of 40
Life — July 7, 1904 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **Left cartoon**: "The Man Who Dropped Seven Stories Without Losing His 'Life'" depicts a figure dropping manuscript pages, suggesting a writer who survives professional rejection repeatedly. **Right section**: A dialogue between "Young Caterby" and "Von Blumer" discusses marriage and household management. Caterby expresses amazement at his wife's domestic competence—her cooking, economical management, and efficiency as a housekeeper. Von Blumer, married ten years, responds that such qualities are "all the same," implying they're unremarkable. The satire targets early 20th-century gender expectations: Caterby's wonder at basic wifely competence reflects the era's limited expectations for women's roles, while the older Von Blumer's jaded response mocks romantic idealization of domestic life. The bottom illustration shows a competitive domestic scene, reinforcing marriage as a performance arena.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- Von Blumer stopped him with an authoritative gesture, “Yes,” he said, ‘1 know all about it, That girl, as you say, was brought up to have every- thing in the world. Why, she didn't know what it was to raise a finger. It was the one thing that troubled you, wasn’t it? When you married her you couldn't give her as much, you know, as she had had, and it worried you. But now, just look at her. She has taken right hold. She gives the nicest little dinners. She superintends them all herself. She is developing into a superb cook. And better than all, she is oh, so economical! From what you were half afraid was a spoiled child she has grown into a thrifty, wise, efficient housekeeper. Isn't that right 7” Caterby turned in amazement. “By Jove!” he exclaimed, ‘that's just what I was going to say. How did you know so much about it?” j fp THE MAN WHO DROPPED SEVEN STORIES WITHOUT LOSING HIS “LIFE.” All the Same. OUNG CATERBY, who bad been married only two months, leaned back in his chair and gazed pensively out into the distance. “It’s simply remarkable about my wife,” he said. Von Blumer, who had been married ten years, gazed at his young friend with some show of interest. 18 ‘Because I've got such a good memory.” “What has that to do with it?” Von Blumer smiled. “Simply this,” he replied. “At present my wife is spending all her spare time handing me in a line of bills that would stagger a gas president, and she’s so busy with the neighbors that I'm thinking of hiring a housekeeper. But, my dear boy, I can well remember when I, too, had only been married two months.”" Sounds. VISITOR (in New Jersey): What a lot of automobiles are passing. Host: Those are not automobiles. Those are mosquitoes. Te fast press illustrates the funda- mental law of dynamics, that when you gain time you lose power. ESCM) Wyld ie it i “What is?” he asked. “‘Why,’’ said Caterby, ‘I refer to the manner in which she has caught on. When I think of the luxury sho had, it’s remarkable. That girl—’’ THIS YOUNG MAN FEELS CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS, BUT HE DOES NOT SEE THAT HE HAS A DANGEROUS RIVAL. CAN YOU FIND HIM? comicbooks.com