Life, 1908-09-03 · page 25 of 36
Life — September 3, 1908 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** A satirical "museum exhibit" mocking early American automobile culture. The guide presents fossilized "footprints of the autoist americanus" as if displaying ancient artifacts—a jab at the novelty and rapid proliferation of cars, particularly among wealthy Long Island residents who left visible tracks in sandy soil. The exaggerated museum-exhibit framing suggests automobiles were already reshaping American society in noticeable, almost archaeological ways. **Story: "A Misunderstanding":** A romantic vignette about two young people at a seaside resort who've spent a week together without discussing love—each claiming indifference to the topic. When the man finally mentions it, they playfully deny having thought about it, with the woman dismissing love as "common" to ignorant people. The irony is obvious: their very defensiveness reveals they've *both* been thinking about love all along. It's gentle comedy about youthful romantic pretense and denial.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Official Guide: ow ENTLEMEN, WE COME TO THAT RAREST OF SPECIMENS, THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE AUTOIST AMERICANUS. THIS INTERESTING CREATURE SEEMS TO MAVE ABOUNDED IN ALL PARTS OP THE CIVILIZED WORLD, AND TO HAVE ESPECIALLY THRIVED IN THE SANDY SOIL OF LONG ISLAND. we WILL NOW PASS ON, A Misunderstanding {E bluff at Ocean Crest looked down upon a waste of sand, a straggly stretch of cottages, and _ \ a weather-beaten hotel—a perfect MQAA) wre of those architectural mon- Strosities that line our coast. Two people were sitting on top of the bluff—alone. The girl was turning the leaves of a book. The man was smoking “Has it occurred to you," he said, “that we have known each other a whole week?" “Dear me!" she ejaculated. “ How time flies!’ You came I began this book—and I haven't finished it yet.”” “Isn't it good?" “Ob,—as it goes—a feeble little love story.”” “You don't care for love stories?" “No! Do you?" “Not I! And that reminds me! Rather singvlar, isn't it, that we've known each other a whole week, and neither of us has mentioned the subject “Why should we? That would indicate that we had been thinking about it, and I can assure you, so far as I am con- cerned, nothing has been farther from my thoughts.”’ “Nor from mine—until just now.” “What started you?” “Why, I think it was more curiosity than anything else. It’s so common, you know.”* “It's common only to those people who don't know any beuer.”* He looked at her in some wonderment he said, “that you have never been in love."? Have you?” “Then it's an even thing, and just as it should be."" (To be continued on page 246.) comicbooks.com