Life, 1909-07-15 · page 11 of 28
Life — July 15, 1909 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **Example IV**, a humorous advice column exchange. A correspondent ("Mr. Brown") requests etiquette guidance for hosting a quiet supper with his wife, mentioning champagne and asking a musician named Eliza to play the harpsichord discreetly. The response from "Mr. Smith" satirizes overly cautious social behavior, joking that he must be careful about what he drinks because even the cheapest ink stains clothing, and he'd "rather do without" than risk damage. He then thanks Brown's wife and requests an invitation, ending with "Which I much prefer to yours and Mrs. B's." The humor lies in the absurdist non-sequiturs and the implication that the advice-giver is more interested in the wife's company than the husband's hospitality. The accompanying illustration titled "Baseball Term—A Hot Liner" shows an unrelated maritime scene.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
OF TRUE LOVE” EXAMPLE IV * Dear Mr. Brown My wife and I would chortle with delight, If you would come and sup with us quite quietly to-n (The “ quietly “* suggests, of course, [ hardly need expl: absence of formality, of napkins a If you could bring your banjo we might ask the Jon I would tell t for maid to mix some claret cup dest Jones plays the harpsichord with ca: And they would be convenient if we wanted to sing glees.”” Answer “Dear Me. Smith T have to be most careful what I drink, Your claret cup is excellent, no doubt; But as it tastes distinctly of the cheapest kind of ink, I fancy I would rather do without Please thank your charming wife, and say how deeply Tam grieved To miss your quiet supper and the glees, Through a prior invitation I this moment have re- ceived, Which I much prefer to yours and Mrs. B.'s."* BASEBALL. TERM A MOT LINER comicbooks.com