Life, 1908-12-10 · page 5 of 24
Life — December 10, 1908 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine features satirical Christmas content alongside social commentary. The illustration titled "Orchids: As the Insignia of Wealth and Social Standing" depicts a gathering of fashionably dressed wealthy individuals, with orchids prominently displayed as symbols of their status. The text includes poetry and prose about Christmas gift-giving, touching on themes of generosity and sentiment versus material wealth. "A Play of Plays" references theatrical productions, mentioning various plays and theatrical figures from the era. The overall satire critiques the American upper class's obsession with displaying wealth through luxury goods (orchids) and their social pretensions, while juxtaposing this with more meaningful Christmas sentiments about genuine human connection and kindness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AS THE INSIGNIA OF WEALTH AND SOCIAL STANDING A Gift HAT shall I send you for Christ- mas, dear? What can a penniless rhymster send But the wish that when skies are filled with gloom For you blithe April buds may bloom And that every throb of the heart of you May whisper of days when the skies were blue. What shall I send you for Christmas, sweet? What can a friendless minstrel send But the prayer that when days drag drear and long Your heart will sing snatches of sweet- est song, And that every flake of the Yuletide’s snow May speak of the dreams of the long ago. What shall I send you for Christmas, my own? What can a lonely bardling send But the wish that when life grows dark and chill The roses of summer may bloom for you still, And in moods when the fond old dreams still cling to you That the birds may return, my sweet, and sing to you. Irving Dillon. Location PEAKING of Mr. Rockefeller, the World says: He worships at the Fifth Avenue Bap- tist Church. We were under the impression that it was at 26 Broadway. A Play of Plays a MYSELF—Bettina, in Sporting » Days,"” spoke the Gentleman from issippi, “have seen the World and His Wife, also the Devil. I was a Sampson among the Boys, and Betty,— a Devil among the Girls of Gottenberg. And what girls!) There was Lady Fred- erick, and Marcelle (once the Servant in the House of the Mollusc) and the Three Twins. They called me the Travelling Salesman, in contradistinction to Little Nemo, the Man who Stood Still. 1 didn’t give a Jack Straw, but chased Mile. Mischief in the Fighting Hope of capturing the Golden Butterfly. But Love Watches over the Man from Home and Via Wireless [ returned to the Blue Grass and the old Red Mill, thoroughly imbued with the American Idea, get Paid.in Full. comicbooks.com