Life — September 20, 1906 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Magic Spell" and "Why They Married" This page contains two satirical cartoons about marriage and courtship conventions. **"The Magic Spell"** presents humorous "rules" for spelling reform and proper etiquette, attributed to various figures including "Haroun al Roosevelt" (likely Theodore Roosevelt). The jokes mock overly complicated English spelling rules and suggest simpler alternatives—typical turn-of-the-century humor about linguistic pedantry. **"Why They Married"** shows two contrasting couples with cynical captions. The left cartoon mocks a bride who "swore she never would wed" until opportunity arose. The right depicts a man marrying "behind his back" after a woman "turned his head"—satirizing how romantic entanglement overrides stated intentions. Both lampoon the gap between people's professed values and their actual behavior regarding marriage.