Life, 1905-08-03 · page 27 of 44
Life — August 3, 1905 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous poem accompanying a photograph of women on a yacht. The joke centers on a **chaperon's perspective**—an older woman tasked with supervising young ladies' behavior, a common social obligation in early 20th-century upper-class life. The chaperon describes her misery (damp clothes, sunburn, seasickness) but paradoxically finds it worthwhile because she can finally keep watch over her three charges—Dolly, Amaryllis, and Phyllis—who normally scatter. On a yacht, they cannot escape her supervision. The satire mocks: - The tedious social custom of chaperoning - Young women's typical rebelliousness and tendency to evade supervision - The chaperon's resigned acceptance of discomfort as a trade-off for control The poem is credited to Theodosia Garrison, a real poet of the period. The accompanying photograph shows the scene literally—women clustered on a yacht where escape is impossible.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
-LIFE- 153 The Chaperon Speaks. V Y timp and damp my gown and the sun is beating down And my hat’s askew above my blistered face, But at least it's consolation and a bit of compensation To know my lambs are gathered in one place. For Dolly, Amaryllis and the most imprudent Phyllis Are seldom found together in one spot, And the only relaxation in a chaperon’s vocation cht. ber ona Is to get them all tog Hence I sit here d, though paling, for I never cared for sailing And L always had a horror of the sea, But at least the satisfaction of a little forced inaction Isa thing to be accepted thankfully, And Dolly, Amaryllis and the most imprudent Phyllis For once they bear my glance and murmur not, And content is o'er me stealing (though I'm sure my nose is peeling) For I know they can't escape me on a yacht. Theodosia Garrison, comicbooks.com