Life, 1909-08-05 · page 19 of 44
Life — August 5, 1909 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces of satirical content: **Left side:** A series of sketches titled "My Dog and My Daughter" depicting a dog and child in various playful activities—running, digging, playing together. The satire appears to mock the similarities between children and animals, suggesting they share comparable simplicity and instinct. **Right side:** A short story/dialogue titled "Life" featuring a sick Woman consulting various authorities—a Doctor, New Thoughtist, Christian Scientist, Preacher, and Wise Man—each offering conflicting remedies. The Woman dismisses all professional advice, stating she needs only "sunshine and fresh air, and health, and happiness, and love." A cynical observer smiles sadly at this exchange, understanding the futility. **The satire:** This mocks turn-of-the-century competing philosophies and professions (medicine, New Thought spiritualism, Christian Science, conventional religion) as equally ineffective. The Woman's simple wisdom and the Cynic's knowing smile suggest genuine human happiness requires no expert intervention—a critique of professionalization and intellectual pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
175 the way with all the best jobs, only a few of us have the mental facilities to handle them. The mass of mankind must still be clerks, waiters, car conductors, stock brokers, farmers, tors, factory hands and officers of civic government, and find their joy in a superior discharge of those comparatively modest employments. Life I AM ill,” said the Woman. “You need a tonic,” said the Doctor. “You need to come out into the place where material things are not,” said the New Thoughtist. “You are well, you need but to say so, and it is true,” said the Christian Scien- tist. “You need faith,” said the Preacher. “You are in a rut; you need something to do,” said the Wise Man. “T need none of these things,” said the Worm “T need sunshine and fresh air, and health, and happiness, and love.” The Cynic said nothing, but he smiled; and the smile was sad and full of understanding. Jean Wright. Compressed Fiction Cuarter 1, Cuarter III. They Cuarter IV MY DOG AND MY DAUGHTER It. comicbooks.com