Life, 1904-12-01 · page 30 of 64
Life — December 1, 1904 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous domestic narrative illustrated with animal characters—specifically geese—rather than a political cartoon. The story depicts a family of geese awaiting the return of "Mother" (Mabel) from a month-long absence. The satire is gentle and social rather than political: it gently mocks human domestic life by rendering it through anthropomorphic geese characters. The humor targets recognizable middle-class concerns—an absent breadwinner husband frequenting a "quill club," children's greediness, household management challenges, and Christmas preparations. The elderly Grandmother Down's characterization as a bossy matriarch who threatens to "goosepeck" the lazy father figure provides comic commentary on domestic authority. The "smarty" opening voice suggests the author is deflating readers who might dismiss the story as merely about geese, insisting instead on its relevance to human family dynamics. This appears to be light entertainment rather than social criticism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Home- The Coming of Mother Goose. HEY were nice geese, the Downs, a hap- y, well-spoken-of Of course, “But they're only geese, so why talk about them?" Never youmind, smarty; there are geese and geese nily youwillsay There was Grandmother Down nice an old lady as you ever saw—a comfortable, stout, lovable person who always wore caps. She was a bit short of head feathers, so she wore wig: An ordinary wig for w quite gorgeous affair for Sunday. This one was invariably crowned with her best re: ‘ap with the lavender She had put it on to-night. It was a very special occasion. To begin with, her daughter-in-law was coming home, and for another thing, it was Chri As fond as she was of the children— four of them—Ida Down, Tumble Down, and the twin babies, Goliath and Hannibal—the strain on the old lady had been great, as she had to look after them in the absence of their mother. Of course, there was Portia, the cook, who dressed the twins and gave them their baths in the pond, but she was rather a stupid goose, after all. Ida and Tumble were a little greedy, and the old lady had frequently to plant her old yellow foot on the break: fast worm to save enough for the poor twins, or goodness knows how they would have gotten anything to eat at all. Mr. Down, the father, was away all day hunting, se said; but the old lady didn't swallow that! ‘More likely you were loafing at that good- for-nothing quill club, or getting in the way of automobil I'll warrant along with that idle crowd of those friends of yours! You'll toe the mark right enough when Mabel gets back —you're the kind of a gander that needs a little goosepecking te keep you and -day: ribbons. mas eve. in trim! I tell you that flat-footed, my son!" He waddled off into the dining-room with an lependent hiss, and poured himself out two claws of Old Crow. When the evening meal was over and the family had gathered in thelibrary by the open fire, the post- man’s whistle was heard in the yard, and Ida went to the door. She bror letter, “It’s for you, dad!" s “From mother, I think; it lool her claw. Mr. Down was really very fond of his wife, and had been quite unlike himself since she went away a month or more ago. He broke the envelope and eagerly read: “My Dearest Hu band: When you get this I shall al- ready be on my way to you. It is more than thirty days and nights since I left you all, and you believe I shall be glad to get back and see my litle family once more. I have added flesh since I have been away. They were very kind to me, and I have been living on the fat of the land, old chap; not have room for me. laugh, as I have, when I tell you about a foolish dream I have had for three nights running, now—all about sage news of mother’s return, and grand- mother and the father were no less delighted. A lamp was put on the window-sill and the shade pulled up. It was snowing. Ida and Tumble got out their stockings, and the twin goslings scampered about madly, trying to find their little soc “Oh, I wish I was Tumble. “For the land's sake, why?” asked his father. “Think of what a long stocking I would have!" said the youth, and they all laughed and busied them- selves in the preparation for Santa Claus and their mother. When the stockings were hung by the fireplace, they all sat watching the minute-hand creep slowly up as it neared eight o'clock, and as the clock began striking a knock was heard on a stork!” cried and — onions, Did you ever hear of such silliness? It haunted me for some un- knownreason, but, of course, it’s rubbish. Put a lamp in the window | welcome to me, and about eight o'clock I will be home for Christmas. “Your loving wife, “ Mabel.” The chil- dren were frantic with& delight at the “A huge hand came down.” comicbooks.com