Life, 1909-12-23 · page 25 of 28
Life — December 23, 1909 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page combines literary criticism, corporate advertising, and social commentary typical of early 20th-century American publishing. **Literary Review ("The Danger Mark"):** Arthur Guiterman's verse review satirizes Robert W. Chambers' novel about a morally hypocritical "modern viking"—a handsome, self-righteous man who seduces women while judging others. The heroine Geraldine struggles with alcoholism (referenced through drinks like "slings and high-balls") but ultimately reforms through love. Guiterman's moral: villains and heroes are distinguished by their actions, not appearances. **Bell Telephone Advertisement:** The large central advertisement portrays the telephone system as a democratic "highway of communication" connecting all Americans. This reflects Progressive Era rhetoric about technology uniting the nation. **Minor Advertisements:** Winslow's ice skates and Man-a-Cea Water (a patent medicine for digestive complaints) fill remaining space—typical period advertising. The page juxtaposes literary morality lessons with corporate messaging about modern progress and national unity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Indigestion, Distress After Eating, Uric Acid, Gout, Diabetes Sip with, and between, your meals, MAN-A-CEA WATER Recommended and sold by Park & Tilford : Charles & Co.+ Acker, Merrall & Condit; Hegeman: Riker; Milhaut Bigelow: Grocers and Druggists generally. hooklet. ee SMANA-CEA WATER CO., 13 Stone St., New York. _ Rhymed Reviews “The Danger Mark (By Robert WV. Chambers, D. Apple- ton & Co.) Our Hero, handsome, blond and big, A Wenzell-tailored modern viking, Is such a self-sufficient prig, He dearly needs judicious kicking. While kissing wives and maids, And painting most amazing pictures, He nicknames shovels “damned old spades,” Dispensing inconsistent strictures, servants, And railing, till one hopes he'll choke, Against his friends, absurdly wealthy, Who play at games that vulgar folk Consider morally unhealthy. Our Heroine, compelled to fight Hereditary dipsomania, Adorns this social circle—(quite Like some in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- vania). Yes, Geraldine is sadly prone To sip the cup that blears the eye- balls; (She turned cologne, Then weaned herself on slings and high-balls) from milk to. straight It goes by your door. Every Home, every office, every factory, and every farm | in the land is on that great highway or within reach of it. It is a highway of communication, and every Bell Telephone | is a gateway by which it can be reached. Millions of messages travel over this highway every day. In the great cities they follow one another like the bullets | from a machine gun, and over the wide reaches of the country they fly with the | speed of shooting stars. The Bell service carries the thoughts | and wishes of the people from room to | room, from house to house, from commu- nity to community, and from state to state. A Highway of Communication This service adds to the efficiency of each citizen, and multiplies the power of the whole nation. The Bell system brings eighty million men, women and children into one tele- phone commonwealth, so that they may know one another and live together in harmonious understanding. A hundred thousand Bell employees are working all the time on this highway of communication. Every year it is made longer and broader, and its numerous branches are more widely extended. Every year it is furnished with a larger number of telephone gateways and be- comes the means of greater usefulness, The Bell Long Distance Telephone will meet your new needs and serve your new purposes. It means — one policy, one system, universal service. Every Bell Telephone is the center of the System. The Demon Rum with all his train, The Pink Baboon and Ring-tailed Hisser, Pursued her steps; when young Duane, Our Patent Universal Kisser, AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY | AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES To f’ best skaters and | the best rinks everywhere will have none but Winslow’s. Appeared to fondle, preach and win. A merry dance awhile she led him, Then stamped upon her darling sin— In short, reformed herself to wed him. Superior in material, in finish and durability. Over so years as the {akorlt’s standard has clinched this fact. AM Medetay AI! Sle, Atl Dealers. i TRE RTite few now last reted extalegues, ‘They are this Kindly slate Seether you are ateresied ta lee or Are wrong for Villains, right for THE SAMUEL WINSLOW SKATE MFG. CO. Heroes. . Our Villain also liked to kiss, But proved as bad as several Neros; Which goes to show that sports like Arthur Guiterman. 24.96 Chambers St., New York. No. 64 Aveaue de la Grande Armee, Parts. comicbooks.com