Life, 1909-04-01 · page 29 of 52
Life — April 1, 1909 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces mocking contemporary social pretensions and domestic realities: **"Rising Young Novelist"** (main cartoon): A self-important writer boasts to a woman about his celebrity status, claiming crowds stare at him. The satire targets vanity and the gap between perceived and actual importance. **"Settling Down"** (text section): Defines the process as one's gravitational descent from ambitious heights into domestic responsibility—reduced income, marriage, children—until reaching "hard-pan" (bottom). It's sardonic commentary on how life's realities constrain youthful aspirations. **"Didn't Count"** (dialogue): A wife dismisses a kiss as merely a "trial kiss," implying it doesn't count as infidelity. The couple's marriage seems loveless; she mentions only "anything running around the house" after three years. **"Aviation"** (right column): Lists stages of a balloon ascension abstractly, likely satirizing pretentious modern enthusiasm for emerging aviation technology. The page collectively ridicules male ego, marital disappointment, and social climbing—typical Life magazine targets.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AT LAST went, THIS 18 11,” “1s witat? “Tue JuMriNG-orr PLace.” Aviation Or a Balloon Ascension in Abstract Aspiration ; Expectation; Preparation; Inflation; E Perforation; Evaporatioi Trepidation; Gravitation. NON-COMMITAL letter is the noblest task of penmanship. Settling Down ETTLING down is a gravitational process indulged in by one who has been accustomed to hit the high places. It occurs at a period of life when one feels the weight of something, such as a reduced income, a sense of importance, a wife or other incum- brance. If, perchance, a child or two should be added to the untoward cir- cumstances, the process is complete, and one may be said to have reached the limit, sometimes called hard-pan, Didn't Count IDN'T I see him kiss you?” “Oh, that was only a trial kiss.”” a OU have been married three years now, I believe?” Rising Young Novelist: you KNow, MY DEAR, I DON’T WANT TO APPEAR FOOL+ “Three years in June.” ISULY VAIN, BUT T RELIEVE YOUR MUBRY 1S GETTING TO REA MIT OF A CELEBRITY IN “Anything running around the house YOU'VE NO IDFA MOW MANY PEOPLE TURNED 10 LOOK AT WIM AS mE yet?” CAME ALONG JUST NOW. duce the son to make his selec- tions from it with good judgment. Often sons do that very thing, and that must be why some very imperfect fathers have good sons. The weak point about insistent- ly teetotal fathers, Mr. Smith, is that they seldom know much , about rum, and can’t teach their boys what it is, and what it does, and what not to let it do to them. Either that, or they send the boys out packed with misinformation which presently the boys discover isn't so. E. S. M. “Nothing but the fence.” a Ladies first