Life, 1907-06-06 · page 19 of 56
Life — June 6, 1907 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical poem mocks New Thought religious movements popular in the early 1900s—specifically Christian Science (founded by Mary Baker Eddy) and similar metaphysical philosophies claiming "mind over matter" supremacy. **The Setup:** A man encounters an attractive woman on a train and uses pseudo-spiritual logic to engineer an introduction, citing that "mind over matter is supreme; We'll think an introduction." **The Joke:** The woman deflates his pretentious reasoning by suggesting "absent treatment"—a Christian Science practice of mental healing through distance—and dismissively directs him to the smoking car. She outsmarts his faux-philosophical pickup attempt using the very doctrine he invoked. **The Satire:** The poem ridicules both New Thought movements (treating them as convenient justifications for nonsense) and the man's transparent attempt to weaponize spiritual language for romantic advantage. The accompanying American History timeline appears unrelated or is a separate page element.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Case of Logic We 3 ? i American History I P ee 1776. Revolution. APRETIY Curistian ; e. j 1776-1789. Substitution. Scientist Sat opposite to me. 3 1789. Constitution. Her cyes were blue, her hair : s fair, She was gowned most 1812. Involution charmingly. \ 1789-1812. Institution. 1812-1846. Elaboration. rt ‘The way was long, the car was hot, . : ‘The train some hours late. 1846-1861. Ebullition, Small wonder, then, my fancy stirred ¢ Bae With hopes of tete-a-tete, 1861-1865: ul But how to bring the thing about T owned, to my confusion, 1873. Destitution. "Twas difficult, indeed, without Some warrant for intrusion. Iv She pored o'er “Science and the Key” { 4 1892-1896. Demoralization In prayerful meditation, , 1896. Oration. And I, from Mother Eddy, gleaned Y ad A sudden inspiration. 1896-1898. Trustification. . ; 1898. Perturbation. I rose and said, “You'll not deny \ 1899. Glorification. ‘This logical deduction: Peroration. Mind over matter is supreme; We'll think an introduction.” . Evolution. VI , , Liquidation. 1846. Confiscation. . Confusion. 1865. Equilibration. 1865-1873. Reconstruction. 1873-1884. Recuperation. 1884-1892. Intoxication. “Your logic, sir,” she sweetly said, Interrogation. “Ts of the faultless kind. V'll give you absent treatment, sir; The smoking-car's behind.” Ellis O. Jones Revolution. comicbooks.com’