Life, 1906-06-21 · page 19 of 28
Life — June 21, 1906 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces mocking early 20th-century romantic and marital conventions: **"It Appealed to Her"** ridicules both naive idealism and materialism. A young man romantically proposes escaping civilization's "false conventions" to live naturally near "nature's heart." The woman eagerly agrees—but only to introduce fashionable hats, dresses, and bridge games to those "backward" people, revealing her true priorities are status and consumption, not genuine escape from society. **"Little Glimpses of Married Life"** satirizes reciprocal gift-giving within marriage. After the wife secured a bargain on men's clothing, the husband purchases 80 yards of gaudy plaid fabric as a "bargain" gift. The humor lies in the husband's obliviousness: he's essentially trapped his wife in excessive textile she didn't want, mirroring her thoughtless bargain-hunting back at her. Both pieces target shallow social pretension and the gap between romantic/domestic ideals and actual selfish behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SEX‘ AND, CHARACTER, a biological and meta- physical discus nom's Sons.) ion by Otto Weininger. (G. P. Put- ‘Trape Unionist anp Lasor PROBLEMS, edited by Com pany.) Trusts, AND edited by Edward Z. Ripley. Com pan: VERSAILLES AND THE Court or Louts XIV, by J Eugene Farmer. (The Century Com pany.) Tux War or John Poois Corroratioys, (Ginn and THE CLASSES, says on socialism by Jack London (The Macmillan Company.) It Appealed to Her “YY7OULD you not like to fly { with me to some hidden the world,” asks chamored youth, “where the false conventions of modem society are things unknown, where the ham- pering requirements of our present civilization are un- heard of, where the people live near to nature’s heart, dreaming naught of our silly changes of fashion, knowing naught of the allurements of hats and dresses and” “O, Harold!” exclaims the sweet young thing. “Is there sucha place? O, how wonderful it would be to go there!” “Do you mean that you would go?” he cries, his voice thrilling with a won drous upsurging of soul. “Would I? It would be heavenly! Think of being able to introduce all the latest things in bridge and shirt-wa: and bonnets among those women, and make them all realize what frightful back numbers they are!”" part of the Reciprocity sf Y DEAR,” s the thoughtful husband, entering the house with a huge package in his arms, “you re- member last week when you secured such a wonderful bargain in shirts at forty-eight cents and neckties at three fora quarter for me?” “Yes, love,” says the fond wife. R. Commons. (Ginn and LITTLE GUMPSES OF MARRIED “ARE YOU SURE THERE t8 NOTHING “Well, don’t think I didn’t appreciate your thoughtfulness. Sce, I have bought something for you. I noticed some beautiful green and yellow plaid goods in a show window on my way home, and UFE 1 CAN BUY FOR You, DEAR?” bought you eighty yards of it at four cents a yard. The clerk said it was a great bargain, and it will make enough dresses to last you two years. Why, she comicbooks.com