Life, 1910-12-01 · page 17 of 108
Life — December 1, 1910 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the concept of "Mental Life"—an imaginary publication where subscribers conduct fantasy transactions using imaginary money. The letters are humorous complaints/testimonies from readers. The first letter describes a cook benefiting mysteriously from the subscription. The second depicts someone ordering imaginary products from ads (an airplane, a cure), then marrying five times in an hour through a matrimonial bureau—all mentally, all harmlessly entertaining. The satire mocks the power of imagination and wishful thinking, particularly how advertising exploits desire. Modern parallels would be social media fantasies or online shopping addiction, though the 1910s context suggests commentary on consumerism and escapism during economic uncertainty. The page is mostly advertising (Howard Watch, Yacht Club sardines), typical of *Life* magazine's revenue model. The sidebar about "Holidays and Responsibilities" continues the theme of psychological relief through imagination rather than reality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Leading the Imaginary Life (Conciuded from paye 952) * Dear Sirs: Will you kindly renew my cook's sub- scription to the mental Life for the next five years. This is a plain, straight proposition, and I am sending you fifty dollars in cash. Personally I don’t take any stock in your imaginary numbers, but my cook asked me to do it for her a year or so ago, and I must say that whatever it is, it has had a remarkable effect. B——— H—— Dear Life: Since subscribing to your imaginary paper, I have become a mental million- aire, and now amuse myself by ordering everything I see in the advertising pages, from cover to cover. It’s great fun. Last night, for example, I was looking over the last number and I vibrated to an aeroplane ad. In a jiffy I had sent off ten thousand mental dollars, and in a few more seconds it had come. I hadn't ridden in it more than five min- utes, however, before it broke down, and I had to send it back for repairs. While I was waiting I sent off five hun- dred mental dollars more for a sure cure for high falls, and by the time it came back I was cured and ready for business again. This morning I saw the advertisement of a matrimonial bureau in your im- aginary paper, and by paying an extra fee I was married five times in an hour. Nothing like it. Yours jubilantly, x Y; Please remember that if you want to subscribe to the Mental Life, you must send in five mental dollars first and get on our wait- ing list. We are increasing our office help, and after you have done this you probably will not have. to wait more than fifteer years at the most. Address Gee, Ime, Mit. (Think of him and you'll get h'm.) FRENCH SARDINE GREETS YOU RENE BEZIERS & CO., Packers Perfect Fish in Finest Olive Oil MEYER & LANGE, New York, Sole Agents. The Howard Watch other and the girls M ought to know that a HowarD Watch means more to a man than any other Christmas gift they could choose for him. Every man knows the Howarp Watch—its history and traditions— the names of the leading Americans who have carried the HowarD and made it their own. He is pleased with their recognition of him as the kind of man who ought toown a HowarpD—the finest practical timepiece in the world. The HOWARD Watch is a source of pride to any man among his friends—not alone in its accuracy and reliability, but because of its distinctive position among timepieces, It is the last word in a fine watch, and no other gift, however high in cost, could more surely reflect the idea of quality. ‘A Howarp Watch is always worth what you pay for it. The price of each watch— from the 17-jewel (double roller) in a Boss or Crescent gold-filled case at $40 to the 23- jewel in a 14-k. solid-gold case at $150—is fixed at the factory and a printed ticket attached, Not every jeweler can sell you a HOWARD Watch. Find the HOWARD Jeweler in your town and talk tohim. He is a g00d man to know, Drop usa postal card, Dept, P.. and we will send you “The Story of Edward Howard and the First American Watch"—an inspiring chapter of history that every man and boy should read. E. HOWARD WATCH WORKS, Boston, Mass. Holidays and Responsibilities All the year round from New Year's Day, when we all resolve to work harder, to Christmas, the annual Festival of Care, life is one long revel of responsi bility. Holidays are simply a time to get over having lived a year in, and to won- der if we can ever live another. There is a little prayer or liturgy for Christmas use which appeals to some of us, when we have spent six weeks in shopping * * * Forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who have Christmased against us.—Mount Tom. 983