Life, 1908-10-29 · page 3 of 20
Life — October 29, 1908 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"The Judgment of Paris"** illustration depicts a classical mythological scene: a man offering a gift or decision to three women. This references the Greek myth where Paris must judge which goddess deserves a golden apple—a famous beauty contest with fateful consequences. **"The Nervous Child"** poem satirizes an anxious, destructive boy who torments animals and household items, embodying nervous energy and lack of discipline. The grandmother's repeated refrain—"The poor little dear is nervous"—mocks how parents excuse misbehavior through psychological terminology, a likely jab at emerging child psychology concepts. **"Man"** is a cynical verse attacking male behavior: destroying life for amusement, talking without substance, making excuses for moral failings through pseudo-philosophical reasoning. The page critiques pretense and rationalization across mythology, parenting, and masculine behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Nervous Child (“ Americanus Sum."’) E harried the household cat, He worried and whipped the dog, He sat on his auntie’s hat, He caught and he killed a frog, He lamed with a sizable stone The best of his uncle’s chickens, He broke the bed, and it may be said With truth, that he raised the dickens — Till grandmother raised her eyes, she did, And murmured," The Lord preserveus !"" But mother remarked, as she kissed the kid: “The poor little dear is nervous.”” He fidgeted, sulked and fussed— So dainty about his meat, He screamed that his mother must ¢ something a fellow could eat. He answered his auntie back, He snapped at his uncle, too, THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS He tortured and teased and did as he pleased And not what they wished he'd do. Till grandmother raised her eyes, she did, And murmured," The Lord preserveus !"” But mother remarked, as she kissed the kid: “The poor little dear is nervous.”* Denis A. McCarthy. Man © animal but man Destroys life for fun, Eats to pass the time, Talks without saying anything, and says nothing without talking, Makes reason a pretext for disobeying his instincts, Pleads conscience for his cowardice, Perplexes himself with problems of sex. self and sufficiency, Avoids dying as the fool dieth only be- cause his manner of life is such that his dying on any terms is the part of wisdom, R. B, THE tie We Gamerren= JouN sMITH