Life, 1908-03-12 · page 7 of 20
Life — March 12, 1908 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration depicts a couple at a window seat in what appears to be an elegant interior. The man says to the woman: "Oh, mercy! George, do take your arm away, quick! Something seems to tell me that papa is approaching." This is a romantic comedy cartoon about Victorian courtship proprieties. The humor relies on the era's strict social conventions: physical affection between unmarried couples was considered improper, especially if observed by the woman's father. The joke captures the tension between young desire and parental surveillance—the woman's premonition that her father's arrival requires them to hastily cease their intimate contact. Below, an article titled "A Bloodthirsty Woman" discusses a woman's advocacy against animal cruelty, using satirical language typical of early 20th-century social commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“OH, MERCY! GEORGE, DO TAKE YOUR ARM AWAY, QUICK! SOMETHING SEEMS TO TELL ME THAT PAPA IS APPROACHING” naris, glaring at Socrates. And as you say, Zeno, I have a right to it, and it be- comes me very well, and I do not believe, so far as I am concerned, that I could dwell comfortably with the Gods if it should be removed, and it seems to be discourteous in Socrates to suggest such a thing, not to say narrow-minded. And T shall certainly maintain my freedom in this respect. Very well, said Socrates, with a smile. If you, Apollinaris, insist upon wear- ing your beard after what I have said, it may remain for the present; but I assure you that I shall bring up the matter before the Council and see that this beard pays a proper tribute for the maintenance of the Army and Navy. And I am greatly surprised, O Apolli- naris, that you, who are a missionary, do not at once perceive the logic of my demand. by ERE the amateur theatricals good?” “Splendid! I never saw anything worse. A Bloodthirsty Woman ’TIS an ancient truth that the unin- tentionally funny things are by far the funniest. The president of the Woman’s Auxil- iary of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has become an advocate of vivisection. That this lady, Mrs. Cadwalader Jones, should change her mind is not astonishing. That is a woman’s privilege. What clever experimenter has been hypnotizing this surprising lady? comicbooks.com