Life, 1909-10-21 · page 25 of 32
Life — October 21, 1909 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines advertisements with a satirical poem titled "A Reflected Diet" by J.W. Foley. The satire mocks the era's dietary fad culture—specifically restrictive eating regimens promoted for health. The poem humorously depicts family members suffering through various self-imposed starvation diets (skim milk, dry toast, cutting out meats and breadstuffs) based on popular health doctrines of the time. The satire's point: these fashionable diets are absurd and torturous, leaving people perpetually hungry while claiming to cure ailments like gout and rheumatism. The poem's refrain—"it's simply killing me!"—emphasizes the irony that health fads cause misery rather than wellness. The page also includes period advertisements for Pond's Extract (a shaving product), Stall's Books on "avoided subjects" (euphemistic health/sex education), and a brief anecdote about dog training. These advertisements reflect early-1900s consumer culture and social anxieties.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Silman ffelate feel TOBACCO WITHOUE A BUTE OK A 1G RET. The best blend of tne world’s finest tobaccos. o; Mlb. $1.65: 11d. $3.0. If not 1" prepaid upon receipt of pric 1" How to amuke a Pipe. ' Write today. y; KOFFMAN COMPANY, MFRS., 179 Madison St., Chicag A Reflected Diet Jicting some ailment to be quieting, Everybody r goes a-rioting where plenty once and hi son ‘vod and fishes, and we have no need for dishes, and the stomach of me wishes it couli) tind the means to stay nor of its cravings, for its food is mostly shaving. and it hears naught but the ravings of the ily diet list; » for dinner, with a luncheon some r, and I think as I'm a sinner | away in mist ting little in the way of food or ind abates no jot or tittle of her diet, Father's siomach presses on his liver and dis- tresses him extremely, and he blesses fasts and cuts the foodstuffs out ; Breakfass, ah, ‘tis cruel, just a dish of mush or crcl, not a stick of worthy fuel for this furnace pit of mine; what lighter, and I pull my belt up and my hopes grow slight and 2s the hour comes to dine chen’s quict since the rage began for vision of a pie, it would quite y I swear; Steak 1s quite forbidden, all the roasting-pans ate hidden, and the cook is crossly chidden if she swells our bill-of-fare. How my pulse would quicken could I look upon a chicken and sce rich cream gravey thicken in the long lost frying-pan! But the Code Starvation says the bodily elation from fried chicken spells damnation to the heaith of modern man and with language quite em- static on her Aunty is rheumatic phatic says her feelings grow diet dry toast; Uncle who is gouty says he has no bit of doubt he will be cured by cutting out the steak and stew and broil and roast ; Rele One Twenty-Seven of the skim-milk route to Ilcaven says no breadstuffs made with Teaven may be eaten, so, pray tell What's the consolation for a healthy youth, whose ration is a {starvation just to make some others well ? Mother's getting thinner on no breakfast, lunch or dinner—and her diet is a winner for the stouiness she complains; Father's pirth's reducing since he is no longer food and drink, and he is losing all ce-so-fearful pains etting better, keeps her diet to the let- dear uncle he is debtor to the scheme st and tea rks its wonders when assimilation blunders and its praise the family thunders— but it’s simply killing me! ~J. W. Foley in Saturday ? STALL’S BOOKS 8 Pure Books on Avoided Subjects ‘Wrat 2 Young Boy Ought to Kew Whale eva iar Ought 3 Koew ‘What a Young it to Keow : fat a Man of 45 Gogh! te Keow | teat 2 Young Girt Ought te Keow J ‘What 2 Yenns Wonsen acs! fe Lavy te Know ‘What 0 Woman of 45 Onght to Keow 4 Busts, $1 each, post free Table of contents free Vie Publishing Co, 69 Charen ith and Race Bt, hia, Pa. ning Post THE BEST PART OF THE SHAVE IS WHEN YOU COME TO POND’S EXTRACT RELIEVES IRRITATION PREVENTS INFLAMMATION ASSURES COMFORT Used by men of discrimination everywhere Sold only in sealed bottles—never in bulk. Write for interesting booklet on shaving—mailed free on request. POND'S EXTRACT COMPANY New York City, N. Y Requisite Knowledge As a South Jersey country physician was driv- ing through a village he saw a man amusing a crowd with the antics of his trick dog. The doctor pulled up and said: “ My dear man, how do you manage to train your dog that way? I can't teach mine a single trick’ The man looked up, with a simple rustic look, and replied : “Well, you see, it’s this way: you have to know more’n the dog, or you can’t learn him nothin’,"” —Christian Endeavor World Mary Jane (to the gentleman «with the bow legs, who has called to see her master): For eving's sake, sir, do stand back from the fire; ver legs Weekly. is warping most ‘orrible—Leslic's | “Pa, what is a libretto?" “A libretto, Aurelius, is a home for old jokes.” —Detroit Saturday Night. HONOR THE MAYOR ‘Then up spake our good Mayor M'Ciellan, eat ‘ord I won t got bellén, Whee my day's work I think onty of fa Think of RAD-BRIDGE and what to sleep wetlon."* SILK VELOUR PLAYING CARDS Tone ‘Tro conta stumps (ie than coat) eaves ent bentonone septa wal Lidge Wibatnesererea sith cow Whantvated fusion, Aédrea Dept Radcliffe & Co.. 144 Peart 6t. New York, snd Lowden, B.C. comicbooks.com