Life — July 15, 1909 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 83 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.