Life, 1910-10-27 · page 15 of 44
Life — October 27, 1910 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the "New Woman" of the early 20th century, specifically suffragettes who pursued activism and independence. The main cartoon depicts a husband arriving home to find his wife absent, asking why she's home earlier than expected—the ironic joke being that she's *not* home at all. The accompanying story, "Their Engagement," mocks the changing gender dynamics of the era. It presents a woman who abandoned her husband, remarried, divorced again, and now casually reconnects with her first husband—who happens to be a dentist. The satire's point: the husband maintains composed masculine authority (deciding to "fill two of her teeth") while she blushes and defers, suggesting that despite women's new freedoms and activism, traditional power dynamics supposedly persist. The small illustration at bottom-right appears unrelated—a cherub or angel figure captioned "Printed in Germany." The satire mocks both the "suffragette" lifestyle as chaotic and the assumption that women ultimately remain subordinate to men.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Suffragette’s Husband: wuv, THAN USUAL TO-NIGHT? My Their Engagernent HE entered the room hastily. He ting her. “Twas afraid you would be thinking I had forgotten,” she said. No,” he responded calmly, in the tone of one who is master of himself. “An engagement is an engagement with me."* She was a beautiful girl. A wealth of chestnut hair rippled below the brim of her bonnet. Her close-fitting tailored gown yielded to every movement of her supple form He was a bit above the average height, 1 clean-cut, square-chinned chap, whose every expression bespoke self-reliance. was aw wide I DIDN’T EXPECT You DEAR, AREN'T YOU HOME 4 LITTLE EARLIER UITE SO SOON. As He looked at her his glance was deferential, yet not timid. “Tt has been a long while since we saw cach other," he remarked. “Yes, nearly a year.’’ she “But do you remember when I left that time you said I would have to come back?" Yes. You should have come sooner than this.” “But I have been so busy— coming, dances, dinners, the theatre, and all.” “T know. replied. ing and And you were married, His voice did not tremble as he asked this, yet across her face there flashed a quick tinge of humiliation 699 —I would rather not speak of that she observed, almost coldly. “That is all over. We—we—. It was to be expected. The truth is, meant for cach other. So divorce. “Tt was better so sponded gently.“ Won't you sit down? She took the chair he as he looked down at her she him a sudden smile. I was afraid of you the sbe said merrily. “ But—you are not afraid ne His to. give surance. She smiled again “No, indeed.” He put his fingers beneath her dir chin and tilted her bonny head back, then gazed at her carnestly. Her limpid eyes looked up at him trustingly. The rosc-pink of her cheeks came and went fitfully. The white of her throat throbbed with cach breath He bent her, still with that fixed gaze were parted. He raised his head and she looked out of the window silently. There was a pause. At last she spoke. “What are you studying about? What have you decided? “T think I'll have to fill two of your teeth,” he said quietly. “The rest all right. You have taken better care of them than most women do.” we were I—I not got a no doubt,” he re- indicated, and flashed last tim voice scemed her nearer to Her lips are HE MILLIONAIRE: absolutely necessary to remove my appendix? “Not gin with tha Doctor, is it but it is safer to be- like solutely ; some simple operation PRINTED IN GERMANY comicbooks.com