Life, 1906-08-16 · page 7 of 24
Life — August 16, 1906 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct elements: **Left side:** A poem titled "Everybody's Out of Town" satirizes summer in New York City. It mocks the urban heat and crowding, describing phantom crowds and suffering children. The poem suggests that city residents flee ("everybody's out of town"), leaving behind only illusions of activity—a commentary on wealthy New Yorkers' seasonal exodus to cooler locales. **Right side:** An illustration labeled "In the Good Old Summertime" depicts a figure on a ladder against a large moon, appearing to swat at something with a newspaper or fan. This likely satirizes futile attempts to escape summer heat and urban discomfort—even fanciful gestures (reaching toward the moon) cannot solve the problem. The bottom section begins "A Rapid Conclusion," a brief dialogue between characters Softleigh and Miss Mabel about evening plans.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Everybody's Out of Town” w York is absolutely deserted Everybody Society Notes” in daily paper.) F, SOME pleasant, broiling night, When the summer's at its height, And the burning streets are quivering in the heat, You should casually stroll To the east, you'd think it droll— All the hundred thousand folks you'd seem to meet. For they seem to come and go— Men and Women—to and fro In the City’s ghastly heat, and up and down; But though very real they seem, They're but shadows of For you know that F Town. dream— vbody’s Out of And that tot so pale and mild— You would think she was a Child! She is tired, for the night is very warm; She is very thin and small, And she hardly seems as tall As the baby she is holding in her arm. And the tenements aren't cool; Why, their very roofs seem full, And the phantom Mothers seem to sit and hum Just a crooning, soothing song, For the night scems very long: “O Mother, will the morning never come ?"* And the Mothers seem to weep, ), my dearie, go to sleep, For the cool night-wind is rising in the west.” And sometimes a hearse all white Rattles through the burning night, And the Preacher tells them all is for the best. When the stifling evening heat Pours its thousands on the street, ‘There is scarcely room to pass the gasp- ing throng; ‘They are crowding all around, And you secm to hear the sound Of a thousand moaning Children—but you're wrong! For they really don’t exist, And it’s all a phantom mist— All the sweltering heat and nonsense of that kind; And the throbbing and the noise And the little Girls and Boys Are nothing but an Error of the Mind! For they're really far away In the pleasant fields at play; And the patient Mothers that you think you see Are but figments of the brain; And the suffering and the pain Are only foolish Thoughts in you and me. IN THE Coop ot stwureTiMy, So we sing this righteous song, For we know there's nothing wrong, And these things should not impair our fair renown; For the squalor and the shame We are not at all to blame; For we know that EVERYBODY'S OUT OF Town. M’Cready Sykes. yout can buy nothing half so precious as what it sells. A Rapid Conclusion OFTLEIGH: Good evening, Mrs. Moran. I came tosce if your daugh ter, Miss Mabel, would go for a walk with me. Miss Manet: How do you do, Mr. Softleigh? Ishall bedelighted. Mamma, do I look fit to go to a restaurant? comicbooks.com