Life — December 28, 1905 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Superfluous Baby" by Tom Masson This satirical story, illustrated with a sketch of a stork carrying a baby in a bundle, mocks the tension between Santa Claus and the Stork over their respective roles in childbirth delivery. The dialogue presents their workplace rivalry: Santa complains the Stork delivers babies without proper screening of parents' qualifications, while the Stork defends his efficiency. Santa suggests some couples are unfit parents who lack "baby culture" knowledge. The satire targets early 20th-century anxieties about eugenics and "scientific" parenting—the notion that not all people should reproduce. The humor lies in treating supernatural delivery agents as bureaucratic professionals debating who should have children, reflecting contemporary class and social concerns about worthiness for parenthood.