Life, 1910-03-31 · page 18 of 46
Life — March 31, 1910 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Life magazine page contains two distinct pieces: **Main Story (Left):** A narrative about a boy named Bobbie who trades marbles to his friend Pete for 60 cents, then spends the money on candy for a girl named Bettie instead of admitting it to his father. The story illustrates early entrepreneurial impulse undermined by romantic distraction—a coming-of-age theme about youthful priorities. **Political Cartoon (Right):** Titled "Recruiting Station for U.S. Army," it depicts a military recruiter at a desk being approached by what appears to be street urchins or poor children. The caption suggests children are offering to watch a war in exchange for money, satirizing how the U.S. Army recruits from economically desperate populations. This likely references WWI-era recruitment practices. **Lower Section:** A humorous sidebar contrasting how long different income levels stay in a ball (10 minutes to 1 minute), and a joke about the appendix having monetary rather than medical value—cynical commentary on healthcare costs. The page blends sentimental youth fiction with sharp social satire about poverty, military exploitation, and economic inequality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
558 “Thirty?” “ Wish 1 could Bobbie held out “Well, I'll take i Bobbie gave him the twenty-five cents Twenty-five is all I can let yo © money temptingly. abbed the pures and was off. He still had the extea ten cents and his heart heat high at his success As he’ walked along he met Pete Stanton. Pete was a great marble player. “Hello, Pete! Look at my pures."” Pete gazed at them enyiously “ Gee!" he exclaimed, “ they're all right.”” “Want to buy ‘em? ”? “How much venty-five cents.” Pete raised chickens, sold the eggs to his mother and usually had money. Bobbie counted on this. was reckless in his expenditures “Can't buy this kind everywhere eye in tbat one. Eh? Hard to get Pete hesitated. He wasn't going to give in without a struggle “TM give you sixty cents for ’e Bobbie waited for a moment “Well,” he said slowly, “I'll do it for you, Pete—I want you to have those pures—wouldn't do it for any one else,"” he added The exchange was made. The boys parted. Bobbie his hands in his pockets, whistling. he latent racial sense for dhe had started ont He knew Pete he said. “ Look at the * he said at strolled along the str It had been a great day for him trading had suddenly been awakened, on a great and glorious career With such pleasant thoughts as these we become more or less unconscious of our surroundings. But suddenly Bobbie stopped and looked up. He was in front of a house—a rather important house to him also. It was the house of one Bettie Dimpleton, spinster, xtat ten Bettie was not alone. With her on the piazza was a fa- miliar form—that of Sidney Scott, Then suddenly Bobbie remembered that it was Bettie’s birthday He shrank behind a post and watched. Sidney was giving Bettie something. It was a small box. That twenty-five cents was doing good work. So that was what Sidney wanted with the money, and why he had been so casily tempted ! And Bobbie loved Bettic—loved her more than he would ever love any one else in the world Watching them from behind the post he jingled his sixty cents joyfully in his pocket. Then he turned and ran down the street as fast as he could. And in fifteen minutes he was standing looking into the window of the most gorgeous and luxurious candy store in town. “Well, Bobbi those pures “Yes, sir “Where are they “J—I—haven’t got them."’ “What! I told you not to let those boys do you."" They didn’t.”” “What happened?" “T bought ‘em and sold ’em again and got sixty cents.”* “Good for you! You have the making of a smart busi- ness man, Where is the money?" Bobhi, ‘as silent, “Where is the money, T said his father that night, “did you get TIe-SHAvE R _- eee he ay ‘ASE, MISTER, WOULD YE MIND HAVIN’ A WAR, SO ME AN’ BILLY KIN WATCH YE?" Bobbie leaned over and looked around to see there was no one listening. “You won't tell mother Honest.”’ Perhaps he heard the phrase somewhere, and with the ‘pre- science of youth said it now unconscious of its full signifi- cance. "Well, he said. he said, “I blew it in on a girl!” ee See | By Their Waits Shall Ye Know Them i att as a week man you it in the hall 10 minutes. $10,000 year“ * “ “ 6 ks $25.00 year“ “1 minute It Makes Them Money ae HE vermiform appendix is of absolutely no value to any one.” “Mine was worth five hundred dollars to my doctor."’ comicbooks.com