Life, 1912-02-08 · page 13 of 44
Life — February 8, 1912 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents Dickensian literary references and social commentary. The top section quotes *A Christmas Carol*, mocking Marley as "dead as a door nail"—a phrase the text suggests was already clichéd. Below are character illustrations from Dickens novels, labeled with their names and source works: Fagin from *Oliver Twist*, Mr. Mantilini from *Nicholas Nickleby*, Mr. Wilkins Micawber from *David Copperfield*, and others. The bottom strip shows seven Dickens characters together, captioned "God Bless Us Every One!"—Tiny Tim's famous line from *A Christmas Carol*. The page also includes unrelated satirical quotes about conscience, marriage advice, and bills. Overall, it's a humorous celebration of Dickens' memorable characters while making light social observations through his archetypal figures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Dead as a Door Nail LD MARLEY was as dead as a door nail. Mind, I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door nail. I might have been inclined myself to re- gard a coffin nail as the deadest piece of ironmon- gery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile and my unhal- lowed hands shall not dis- turb it, or the country’s done for. You will there- fore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door nail. —A Christmas Carol. “All Taps is Vanities" “wors your usual tap, sir?” replied Sam. “Oh, my dear, young friend,” replied Mr. Stiggins, “all taps is vanities.” “Too true; too true, indeed,” said Mrs. Weller, murmuring a groan and shaking her head assentingly. “Vell,” said Sam, “I des-say they may be, sir; but vich is your partickler wanity? Vich wanity do you like the flavour on best, sir?” “Oh, my dear, young friend,” replied Mr. Stiggins, “if there is any one of them less odious than another, it is the liquor called rum —warm, my dear young friend, with three lumps of sugar to the tumbler.” —Pickwick. Al other swindlers upon earth are noth- ing to the self-swindlers. —Great Expectations. The Marchioness. Old Curiosity Shop Little Joe. Bleak House, The Infant Phenomenon. Nickleby. Fagin. Oliver Twist Conscience [* the majority of cases conscience is an elastic and very flexible article, which will bear a deal of stretching and adapt itself to a great variety of circum- stances. Some people, by prudent management and leaving it off piece by piece, like a flannel waist-coat in warm weather, even con- trive in time to dispense with it altogether; but there be others who can assume the garment and throw it off at pleasure; and this, be- ing the greatest and most convenient improvement, is the one most in vogue. —Old Curiosity Shop. Mr. Wilkins Micawber. David Copperfield. Advice to Young Married Couples EFORE marriage and afterward, let them learn to center all their hopes of real and lasting happiness in their own fireside; let them cherish the faith that in home and all the English virtues which the love of home engen- ders lies the only true source of domestic felicity. —Sketches of Young Couples, Bills PROPOSE,” said Mr. Micawber, “ Bills—a convenience to the mercantile world, for which, I believe, we are originally indebted to the Jews, who appear to me to have had a devilish deal too much to do with them ever —David Copperfield. GOD BLESS US,EVERY ONE!” Tiny Tim, David Copperfield. Little Nell. Curiosity Shop. Oliver Twist.