Life — February 8, 1912 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis The cartoon depicts Mr. Henry Peck at an employment agency, apparently negotiating childcare arrangements. The caption reads: "engaging a baby's nurse: aside from caring for the twins, I would like you to stay in evenings with me"—a euphemistic reference to expected sexual availability, satirizing employer exploitation of domestic workers. The article "No More Latin at Orono" discusses the University of Maine's decision to drop Latin as a requirement for the A.B. degree. The piece debates whether this change reflects cost-cutting (keeping taxpayer expenses down) or practical educational reform, noting that many colleges had already eliminated Latin while maintaining Latin-free A.B. degrees. Both items critique institutional priorities—whether hiring practices or educational standards—through a lens of economic pressure and shifting social values.