Life, 1910-02-10 · page 10 of 36
Life — February 10, 1910 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon depicts a romantic encounter between a mermaid and a man in formal attire. The humor appears to operate on multiple levels: the gentleman presents himself as a suitor offering courtship ("valentine"), while the mermaid—a fantastical creature—represents an impossible romantic pursuit. The surrounding satirical pieces mock contemporary social pretensions and linguistic trends. "A Rank Offender" criticizes the overuse of the word "classy" in American speech, arguing it debases language by being applied indiscriminately to everything from motor cars to billiards. The page reflects early 20th-century Life magazine's characteristic blend of whimsical illustration with social commentary on manners and language use.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"EPP E* Man Was Ever Fickle KISSED her. Congress was assembled and was holding its daily sessions. Big-bramed statesmen passed weighty measures. The fate of a hundred million people hung in the balance of taxation. I kissed her once more. War was declared. Men and women and little children were cut to pieces. A throne fell. Cities burned. Maps were changed over I kissed her. She put her head on my shoulder. A mighty earthquake shook the earth and countless houses tumbled down, carrying their human freight. One philosophy was succeeded by another. The whole fabric of a nation’s thought was changed in a sudden silent revolution. I kissed her and we said—nothing. She sighed softly The air was conquered. Wondertul white-winged appa tions moved about like great ghosts. The winds blew and still they held their course. And out of the carth blossomed a new growth, insuring for millions of years a new lease of life to man. I kissed her. love me?’ The energy of heat was re-discovered, and forever and forever, in a vast alternating current, a resistless force was brought within reach of the uplift of an infant's finger. And, meanwhile, telepathy from carth’s end to carth's end became commonplace. I kissed her. “Why not?" she replied. “And you?’ The solar system shifted. The planets changed their courses. Mars revealed its secret. And all the infinite host of heaven shone in new and wonderful relations. Then, in silent wonder, I paused for an i forgotten And she said: What can have happened that you do not love me any more?’ “Dearest,” I whispered, “do you really T had What Life Knows (A Partial Appreciation) HAT independence is the price of existence. ‘That the theatre trust is not to be trusted. That a joke is a joke for a’ that. ‘That an action for libel is not a verdict for damages. That variety is the spice of Lire. That the United States customs system is a tough custom That divorce frees a multitude of sinners. “That a speculator on the sidewalk means a crooked man ger inside. That Jest brings home facts when Reason returns empty handed. That Lirx is the bell weather of the humorist flock. A Rank Offender OME one ought to get out an injunction against the word “classy "’ 10 restrain its use. This horrible word is now being employed to describe almost everything that is sup- posed to be worth while. A girl is “classy? and so is a motor car, likewise a play at billiards and a soup. No more reprehensible word was ever forcibly introduced into a language. It ought to be taken out and clubbed to death When It All Started HEN Adam met Eve he was bashful and shy, And he stammered and blushed every time she came nigh, Till at last he grew bold and began to pay court (You may put all your trust in this faithful report). And he murmured to her on an evening serene: You're the prettiest girl that I ever have seen ?— And that’s how that started. When Eve, with a beautiful blush on her face, Yielded shyly and sweetly to Adam's embrace, And put up her red lips for the true lovers’ pact (You may set all this down as an absolute fact), She inquired, while he breathed the fond names on his list: “ Have you said that to all of the girls you have kisse And that’s how that started. When Adam asked She looked up and looked down, and she sighed and she sighed, ¢ if she would be his bride, And she let him take hold of her lily-white hand (This is history now, you must understand), Then she said, in a voice that was dulectly low: “I must take time to think. 'Tis so sudden, you know.” And that’s how that started. When they had been married a few years or so, Then Adam told Eve: “ We're invited to go fo a dinner and dance with some friends down in Nod."* (This is truly authentic, although it sounds odd.) Eve replicd with a sad and a sorrowful air “T can't go. And that’s how that started. Don’t you see I have nothing to wear?" Wilbur D. Nesbit. MOTTO FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE Etect in haste and repent at leisure. | THE MERMAID AND HER VALENTINE, comicbooks.com