Life, 1905-01-19 · page 13 of 38
Life — January 19, 1905 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of satirical humor: **"To the Point"** mocks kindergarten poetry assignments. A teacher asks students to write verses about nature. The "gem of the collection" is a child's poem with deliberately bad grammar ("teached," "stucked," "He done it"), suggesting both the absurdity of expecting literary merit from small children and, possibly, a jab at poorly educated teachers who fail to correct such errors. **"Elopement à la Gasoline"** appears to be a satirical cartoon about modern automobile culture enabling romantic escapades—suggesting social anxiety about how new technology (automobiles) was changing courtship and social behavior. **"A Reply to a Recent Request"** is a humorous advice column where a woman responds to someone's Christmas appeal for help by suggesting they invite a dog to dinner instead of needy people—dark satire on wealthy indifference to poverty. The page reflects early 20th-century Life magazine's focus: social criticism through humor targeting education, modern technology, and class attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Wa Copyright, 1204, by Life Publishing Co, To the Point. OR weeks the Kindergarten had been deluged with N verses, ¢ f a little je said, 8 T jittle verse ave made urselves about rds, or the trees, the flowers, or hat pleases you." Various specimens were produced day, bi little priate gestur the gem of the collection With appro- ynn's. she recited ; “See t wimming in the See the pretty robin singing in the tree! Who teached these two to fly to Who stucked the fur upon their bi He done her? ‘Twas God, 'Twas God. ELOPEMENT A LA GASOLINE, A Word from Omar. SENT my Soul back to the Earth to see If bya Alas, I woul it still remember'd me ; that Lhad Nor writ one word of Cup, For Verse-smiths there are working Day and Night On Parodies of what I did indite ; Ab, my Beloved, should Ratrim’s Wild Get in Swift Kicks ‘twould serve the rhymesters right! WC. A Reply to a Recent Request. Y DEAR FRIEND: I saw your appeal in the Christmas £ and hasten to send you a buy a good solid piece of almost any butcher will throw in . think you can sa vite a friend to dinner and still have something left over to bury for the next holiday, T have a great many friends among dogs, and shall be glad to count you among their number. Your letter was sincere and showed a warm heart. Please con’ yourself patted and called Doggie as oft you like. Sincerely, Annie Sherman Brown. va, CAL., DECEMBER 17, 190 WHAT WAS THAT? comicbooks.com