Life, 1904-10-20 · page 5 of 20
Life — October 20, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two political cartoons about Henry James, the American-British writer. The top cartoon ("Parthensky Northavitch") depicts James as a spy in snow, apparently referencing concerns that he would report unfavorably on America to British readers. The article "H. James Has His Eye on Us" expresses anxiety that James will publish critical impressions of the United States. The text reassures readers that James, as "a man of letters," won't print everything, and that Americans shouldn't worry excessively about his observations. The bottom cartoon ("Voices from the Toys") uses a grotesque figure labeled "Trusts" carrying smaller figures, satirizing American corporate monopolies. The caption "Fear not, Sammy, we are with you" suggests trusts claim to support the common person while dominating the economy—likely critiquing their actual exploitative power.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FARTHESTSKY NORTHAVITCH, H. James Has His Eye on Us. T gives one a queer feeling to re- member that Mr. Henry James is in this country and looking about. Were you ever caught out without your clothes? No? No more were we. But the way we should have felt if we had been is something like the way we feel about having Mr. James snooping around in this country. If there is any national nakedness that we have got used to and forgotten about, he will spy it out, Won't he? ‘They say he is going to print his im- pressions of us! And when we read them—if we read them—shall we feel like alot of Igorots ? The British Primate hasalso been look- ing us over, but nomatter about him. He does not mean to print, and if he does, heis a minister and must use discretion, and a gentleman and will respect the 375 obligations of hospitality. Moreover, he probably thinks we are lovely. We don't think Mr. James will think so. Heisa bachelor of mature years and fixed habits, and it will discom- mode him to look at our show. And neither law, nor gospel, nor even prudence can be expected to deter him from recording any im- pressions his mind may re- ceive, for he isa native and may be candid about his own, and he doubtless ex- pects to return to England. We even consider that he is bound by the obligations of bis own reputation as a man of letters to view us judicially, declare us guilty of whatever we are guilty of, and pass sentence. Well! Let her come! Bring on your bears, Mr. You may do good to some of us, and some of us you will entertain, and some of us won't know what you are driving at. And of course, dear sir, the bulk of us won’t ever know that you came out to these States at all, but that is only because the puddle is so big that when you drop in even a large rock the circles flatten out long, long before they reach CT Asc ntany Voices from the Toys: FEAR NOT, SAMMY, WE ARE WITH YOU. comicbooks.com