Life, 1908-08-20 · page 6 of 22
Life — August 20, 1908 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top photograph shows children playing bean bag on a farm, illustrating Life magazine's "Fresh Air Fund"—a real charitable program providing city children rural recreation. The text story "He Was Deaf" describes a stranger visiting a Vermont farmhouse. When the host, Deacon John L. Woods, asks the guest to say grace before dinner, the stranger mishears and responds rudely, saying the deacon must "holler like h—ll" because he's "deaf as a d—d old adder." The joke relies on the stranger's misunderstanding of the social ritual—he thinks the deacon is hard of hearing rather than requesting a prayer blessing. The cartoon "The Psyche Knot" on the right appears unrelated to these pieces.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Our Fresh Air Fund Previously acknowledged. . Anonymous .. Cash * Ruth . . Mrs. Alice F. Learne Anonymous ..-.++ ‘The Rev. E.R. Li “Camp Leafy Loaf dickey Van “ Nuttley, N. Margaret P. “W. ALU, Je * Roy, Ogden and Tod Mrs. Edward M. Cope j Sunday collection among the be at Camp Champlain Edward F, Cole $4,996.95 5.00 20.00 5.00 6.00 5.00 10.00 25.00 100.00 10.00 Pan 5.00 $0.00 5.00 $5,351.53 AT UFE'S FARM PLAYING BEAN BAG He Was Deaf ONG ago, in Barnet, a small town in Northern Vermont, when it was the custom to entertain wayfarers at the comfortable farmhouses along the road, a long-legged, cadaverous indi- vidual in a suit of rusty black, stopped at the home of Deacon John L. Woods for dinner. His m ncholy manner just exhaled. piety. “Stranger, will you say grace?’* asked Deacon John, as they drew up to table. “Say what?’’ said the stranger. “Will you ask the Lord’s blessing on this food?” urged Deacon John. Turning his sad, uncomprehending eyes on his host, the pious guest said drearily : “If you want to talk to me you'll have to holler like h—II._ I'm deaf as a d—4 old adder.” FOREI MISSION—looking for a husband. THE PSYCHE KNOT Ccomicbooks.com