Life, 1905-03-09 · page 3 of 22
Life — March 9, 1905 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The large illustration shows a demonic or devilish figure labeled "AT HOME DURING LENT," likely satirizing hypocrisy during the Christian season of Lenten abstinence. The exaggerated horned visage suggests moral compromise or wickedness hiding beneath surface piety. The page contains several brief satirical pieces: "A Burning Question" debates whether a maid named Carolyn Wells is a scribe (writer); "One of the Old School" mocks theatrical managers rejecting modern comic operas; "His Vacation" jokes about the devil taking Lent off; and "Hereditary Fright" presents a teacher-student exchange about Moses and the burning bush. These short humor pieces typify Life's early satirical style, mixing social commentary with wordplay and visual mockery of Victorian conventions and pretense.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
RAD erican ixteen Is that AT HOME His Vacation. HE: devil put his stock of sins ecurely on his shelves. is L * And w 1," he said, with oily grins, hat sober time begins Folks think of things themselves.” DURING LENT. 275 re A Burning Question. EEK in, week out, for light I yearn, At last, dear Lire, to you I turn, ‘Two names there are that oft T see— Two questions ‘rise to puzzle me. One scribe, they say, much guerdon wins ; By any chance, is Scollard twins > But there's a maid more busy than ‘That never-tiring poet man; One sees her work each month, each week ; One likes her style, her wit, her cheek. Asall the signs would indicate, Is Carolyn Wells a syndicate ? Carroll Watson Rankin, One of the Old School. “ATO, Mr. Goodun,” said the theatrical manager, regret- fully, ‘‘we cannot put your comic opera on.’ “But why?" asked the other. ‘The plot is new, the dialogue is crisp, funny, and free from the old jokes, the songs are catchy and tuneful, and there is every opportunity for good acting and singing. Why can't you use it?” “Tt is all you say of it, and more,” acknowledged the manager. ‘But itis not uptodate. I fear you area back number.”” **Back number?" There isn't a_ son: the per- use for being sung in connection with the development of the plot." jow that doesn't have fectly reasonable APTIST : Seems to me yo is higher than it was church Eriscorautay ; Well, the price of all es has risen, Drank a gi Th Go bring me ar 1 shoute. Hereditary Fright. T CHER: And why was Moses so frightened when he saw the burn- ing bush ? Isaacsteix, Jx.: Maype der bush vasn't insured. PRACTICALLY SOUND, | comicbooks.com