Life, 1910-11-03 · page 29 of 72
Life — November 3, 1910 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story concerns the mundane marital dynamics of Mr. and Mrs. Chester. The humor revolves around hypocrisy and role-reversal: Chester has just pontificated about people being secretive and evasive, criticizing those who won't openly share information. When a telephone call comes, he takes it—then deliberately refuses to tell his wife who called, claiming he's adopted a policy of "secretiveness." The joke is that Chester, moments after condemning secrecy as cowardly "timidity," immediately practices it himself. His wife had actually been arguing *for* discretion and privacy (the "wisdom" position), while he championed total frankness. Now, in petty retaliation, he embraces secrecy. The page's illustrations show fashionable women in 1920s-style hats and a Thanksgiving turkey drawing, reflecting the era's aesthetic. The title "It's Sometimes Too Late to Mend" suggests that once you've revealed your true nature through marriage, you can't change—Chester is stuck being the type who talks too much, and his attempt at reform is transparently performative.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"*LIPE- It’s Sometimes Too Late to Mend of OW would it Chester, “to ask the over to play bridge?” “LT am agreeable,"’ said Chester. He would rather have spent the evening in reading, but he had been married long enough not to protest. Indeed, he had been married long enough to show joy over something that he didn’t want. Mrs. Chester went to the telephon “Some one is coming in to play v them,’’ she said. “Isn't it too bad? “Tt is too bad,"" replied Chester, set- ling back with a maroon-colored de- lective story in his hand. “I had set my heart on that game of bridge. Ah, well, never count on anything in this world.” Having delivered himself of this time honored maxim he proceeded to light a cigar. Mrs, Chester reflected, “There are the Whittlers,"’ she said at last, Chester looked up. “Vm afraid they wouldn't come,” he said. He would have liked to empha- do,’ said Mrs. Pinktons 240 Caaeves- Vig — A THANKSGIVEIN: “JOKE” sige this opinion still more, but with a certain kind of wife too much emphasis is provocative of certain undesired re- sults. It is often better to appear en- thusiastic in the other direction. In this case Chester was discreetly neutral. “T'll try them,” said Mrs, Chester de- She was gone some time “They're coming,” she announced on ver return, “Get out the table.”* “Coming! ’? said Chester, his voice like a death knell. “Yes. They had an engagement with some one, but Mrs. Whittler said she didn’t much want to go there, so she would plead a headache and come to us."” “Who were the others?” “ She didn’t say,” Chester ruminated. “Of course she didn’t say,” he went on, almost savagely. “Curious trait with some people, isn't it? Secretive. Never like to tell anything. Why can't every one be frank and open?" “As you are—giving away everything you know."* “What do you mean?’ “Just what I say. You tell thing.”" Chester at this sally began to get stirred up. His wife had often accused him of the same thing before. His “frank, open nature’? was not, in her opinion, a thing to be commended. “It’s all very well,’’ she went on, “to be truthful, but you want to talk about everything, and just tell more than is necessary. Why should we want to know who were the people who had asked the Whittlers? I think they were quite right in not voluntarily giving away the information.”* Chester controlled himself. A silence. “ Did the Pinktons tell you,’’ he went on at last, “ who they expected?" “Certainly not. Why should they “Oh, merely another case of secr ness, that’s all. It's a curious tr: this being afraid to tell the truth That's what it comes from—just tim- idity.”” “Tt doesn’t. It's good sense. “ Fear, I say!" “And I say wisdom! "* At this moment the telephone rang. “You go,'’ said Mrs. Chester. “I've been twice already." The Chesters were casily the popular people in their set. The tele phone was constantly ringing. Chester went. By and by he came hack. He started to get out the table, every- most lees PADDOCK PLEASANTRY “YOU SKEM A LITTLE HOARSE, TO-DAY." “NEIGH, Neen. “Well,” said Mrs. Chester, “ who was in?" “Tm not going to tell. [ begin to realize now that I have been too open talk. Sccretiveness! That's my rom henceforth.” ‘ow stop. guying, please. I y, who was Chester stopped in the act of putting down the leg of the card table. “Now you," he said, “would have made a botch of it. I am so glad I went. Mrs. Chester was now getting anxious “Who was it?"’ she demanded in: periously. “Quick! Was it the Pink- tons? ** Chester smiled. “T wish you would be more exact h comicbooks.com