Life, 1906-04-05 · page 24 of 58
Life — April 5, 1906 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical piece critiques women's emerging political activism in the early 20th century through the conflict between Mrs. Dimpleton and her rival, Mrs. Whippet. **The Setup:** Mrs. Dimpleton opposes Mrs. Whippet's candidacy for President of the Woman's Club. Whippet, an educated woman who studied abroad, neglects her household duties to pursue civic engagement—committees, campaigning, public work. **The Satire's Target:** The piece mocks *both* women. Mrs. Dimpleton resents Whippet's public ambition while admitting she herself cannot leave housekeeping to participate. Meanwhile, her husband dismisses women's political involvement as trivial vanity compared to "real" (male) business and market concerns. **The Point:** The satire exposes the contradiction: women are expected to prioritize domestic duties, yet simultaneously criticized as frivolous when they do engage politically. The husband's condescension—treating women's civic participation as harmless ego-stroking—undercuts the legitimacy of their ambitions. The accompanying illustration showing hellish urban chaos appears unrelated to the main text.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“*] PON'T propose to tet that woman get ahead of me!” Mrs. Dimpleton’s voice was decisive. Dimpleton knew at once that there was war in the air, though what kind He debated inwardly, with that fine comes in time cause, Was not apparent men of experience he should show any curiosity If he on the subject id, he might get dragged into it, whereas if he pre served a studied indifference he would he scorned come an ally is being unworthy to be He resolved to. preserve neutrality and trust to luck You refer.” he ventured mildly, “to To that Mrs, Whippet.” “What has she don of the W it you know what that Ina f the whole un for President man's € if she gets means, ot Ww months dances, She's just that kind. Been g tooth and nail to get this place Well” said Dimpleton, “what dif- make? Who cares? woman, I educated believe Didn't IT hear some one say that she tively brilliant—studied abroad and all that sort of thing Dimplet face flushed with honest anger. She’s sim ply horrid,” she exclaimed “Why, she dren to go to al neglects her own. chil- these meetings. Every- thing at her own house is at sixes and sevens. must be. How could it be otherwise? T ow that T haven't been able heretofore to leave my own chil- dren and my housekeeping and go out ind serve on committees. and fight and And se she clectioncer and draw up papers here’s a woman who, just beca lect her home. can do it, and 1 be at the head of everything. And the rest of us will have to take a back seat.” Her lip quivered “But I stand it! she ex- claimed. won't -LIFE: Two Women. By Tom Masson It was a subject that did not appeal strongly to Dimpleton, Somehow, it didn’t seem to matter much, It was, compared with his own active life, with the tens in the market. the money that changed hands, the despe struggle for bread and butter, like sham battle. The idea of a lot of wo- ach other for a cheap men fighting kind of social or spurious mental a cendency t ter all, didn't amount to anything, carried with it an clement of absurdity that strongly appealed to s sense of the ridiculous, laughed Nonsense he “How foolish. Mrs. Whippet is probably one of those over-edueated and unintelli- gent persons who glory in running the town, Let her do it. People of real ability—like yourself, for example— can ord to Jet her think she is the whole thing. It’s always the way, my dear. Politics invariably engages the cheapest, showiest kind of talent. The people haven't time to give up to sort of thing.” Mrs. Dimpleton’s eyes flashed fire “But the real people have, and w she cried. “I'm going to stop that wo- man from getting that place if its a BUILDINGS PUT UP WHILE YOU WAIT SNAPSHOTS IN HADES. THE PUNISHMENT FOR MEN WHO ERECT UNSAPE BUILDINGS.