Life, 1906-12-06 · page 38 of 64
Life — December 6, 1906 — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story skewers the condescending paternalism of early 20th-century husbands toward their wives' finances. Mr. Cromwell epitomizes the pompous, controlling husband who: - Mocks women's shopping habits as inherently wasteful ("No woman ever does" know what she wants) - Grants his wife a "generous" $100 budget for household necessities while giving her only $1 for lunch and carfare - Congratulates himself for his benevolence despite this absurd disparity - Uses affection (kissing her) to soften his financial dominance The cartoon's title suggests irony: this "transaction" is actually about power, not commerce. Mrs. Cromwell's silent reaction—sitting alone "crushed" with the dollar bill—conveys her helplessness. The satire targets the hypocrisy of husbands who consider themselves generous while maintaining iron control over household finances, leaving wives economically dependent despite managing the home.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
aha & LIFE 2? Ra~ “YOU'LL NEED some CASH" A Transaction N MONDAY morning Mrs. Cromwell arose first, and, while waiting for her lord and master to come down to breakfast, permitted herself to become absorbed in the bargain advertisements in the paper. she was engaged in this surreptitious pleasure, she was suddenly confronted by Mr. Cromwell. “Well, my dear, looking up new ways to spend money?” Mrs. Cromwell winced slightly under the insinuation. Years before she had been a woman of spirit. There were still wholesome evidences of it left “There are some things I need,” she said, quietly. “There are always things you need. We all need things. This habit of continually needing things is the curse of this country. Well,how much do you want? Have you gota list?” “T don’t know exactly, but”* “Of course, you don’t know exactly. No woman ever does.” Mr. Cromwell smiled at his own sally. He was a rather handsome-looking man, rather portly, rather pompous, with a suggestion of geniality about him which was a trifle deceptive. He was by no means a bad man. He loved his wife devotedly in his own way, but he considered that all women were extrava- gant, and he did not think they should be permitted much financial leeway. “We need some linen sheets,” said Mrs. Cromwell, ‘‘and I suppose I ought to have a new suit; then there a number of little things””—— in Real Estate “Ha! Little things. Yes, I’ve heard that before. Well, ’'D fix you up all right, I guess.” The breakfast proceeded in silence, broken by occasional patches of conversation on commonplace subjects. After it was over, Cromwell rose, lighted a cigar and proceeded to put on his coat. ‘Then he turned suddenly as if he had forgotten something. “Oh, yes,” he exclaimed. “About those things. Well, now, I tell you what you can do. I have accounts at the linen store and the dry goods store. You go in and order what you want everything, mind you—there must be nothing to get after- ward—up to a hundred dollars. Have it charged to me and I'll pay for it when the bills come in. But remember, my dear, it mustn’t be more than a hundred dollars. There! That ought to make you happy!” ‘Then he put his hand in his pocket. “By the way,” he continued, “ you'll need some cash.” He handed his wife a crisp, clean one-dollar bill. “That will buy your lunch and pay car fare.” ‘Then he bent over and kissed her—a ceremony he never omitted, for he was a very punctilious man—and was gone. Mrs. Cromwell sat for a long time with the dollar bill crushed in her hand, thinking. One hundred dollars! Well, that would be a great deal to some people. But her husband was a comparatively wealthy This story continued on page 686 comicbooks.com