Life, 1905-12-14 · page 22 of 24
Life — December 14, 1905 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This brief satirical piece mocks city dwellers' condescension toward rural America. A country woman picks wildflowers (called "whiteweed" dismissively by locals) to bring to the city. On the train, a formerly rural woman—now married to a city man—encounters her and patronizingly praises the same flowers as "pretty daisies," then later as "lovely marguerites" when giving them to a city office worker who exclaims over them as exotic "marguerites." The joke: city people find rural wildflowers beautiful only when rebranded with French names and urban context. The rural woman understands this pretension ("I thought you would"), exposing how urban sophistication is merely performative snobbery toward the same humble countryside. The piece satirizes early 20th-century class anxiety and urbanization—specifically how industrial Americans adopted European aesthetics to distance themselves from rural origins they'd recently left.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIFE- Progressive Appreciation. OME of the country flowers illustrate the truth that “the prophet is not without honor save in his own country” as well as any person could possibly do it One morning a summer resident started from okby with a bunch of flowers in her hand, “Going to tote that whiteweed into the city inquired the man who drove her to the station, with evident scorn. “Yes,” said the young woman, quite un- moved by his opinion On the train she was joined by young woman who had formerly lived in the city, but had married a Brookby man a few another ars before. hose are pretty daisies you have,” she | said, tolerantly. “Yes, I think they are,” said the summer visitor, smiling to he An hour later sh nd in a busy ci f. ded the flowers to a \ “Oh, what lovely marguerites!” cried the is but one * [recipient is California “I'm glad you like them,” said the young woman, quietly. “I thought you would.’"— and when you Youth's Companion NAR] consider conven- 0 ience of service, On His Friend’s Account. elegance and thor- P guess that most of us went oughness of equipment, comfort and safety of travel, there is but one way to get there—The “WE LL, 1 through the war without knowing that Togo was pronounced Tongo, and feeling just jas contented as if we knew it all the time.” LIMITED || Why?” on the Friend of mine named Briscoe wrote some awfully clever lines ut the Jap commander, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway | Togo or not He wouldn't have survived if he had known it was Tongo.” leveland Plain Dealer, No trip to the coast is complete unless taken on this wonderful train. Elece tric lighted; embodies every im- provement of modern travel. f The Overland Limited leaves Union Passenger Station, Chicago, 8 p.m. daily. Tourist Sleepers at 6.05 p.m. and 10.25 p.m. Address F. A. Miller,G.P.A., Chicago, for free booklets. beginning Togo. A ENGROCER’S boy hailed a vessel in dock at Cardiff. The surly mate responded ind grufily asked him what he wanted. “I've got some vegetables for the ship.” was the | reply Y/ | “All right, |‘em up one stood in vegetables. \hoy, there he threw a sir “I've got a sack York Tribune. A CORNER IN WOMEN “It was very profitable to me because I took so much interest in it” is what Russell Sage says of TOM MASSON'S New Book you needn't come at aboard; throw said the mate, as he receive the expected atime,” readiness to look out!” shouted the lad, as reen pea toward th ‘m for the captaii \greatcoat is a necessity for even the on When real Winter comesa really warm hardiest of coachmen, Our greatcoats are all lined to the bottom of the skirt with an all wool lining weighing 30 ounces to the yard. Made of English boxcloth, $38 to $100. American or imported ROGERS, PEET & CO., 258—842—1260 Broadway, } (3 Stores) NEW YORK, | JOIN JAMESON | THREE STAR | * WHISKEY we SISO Sy | vain wutske™ Protected by this label Neither blended nor compounded. Just absolutely pure Automatic Moffat, Yard & Co., 289 Fourth Ave., N. Y. Sparker OLD CROW RYE srior WHISKEY sox H. B. KIRK & CO., BOTTLERS, NEW YORK. comicbooks.com