Life, 1912-08-08 · page 33 of 40
Life — August 8, 1912 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes humor, advertising, and social commentary typical of early 20th-century Life magazine. **"A Resourceful Housewife"** is a brief domestic joke about an inexperienced cook and mistress. The humor lies in the mistress's illogical "solution"—if one clean knife signals a cooked pudding, she suggests inserting all the knives, apparently thinking this will somehow guarantee doneness. It satirizes the incompetence of both servant and employer. **The advertisements** for Londonderry mineral water and Peerless Motor Cars represent typical magazine content targeting affluent readers with luxury goods. **"The New Sport"** references the "turkey trot," a popular early 1900s dance considered scandalous by conservatives. Uncle Silas's comment that New Yorkers have abandoned horse-racing for the turkey trot gently mocks both rural attitudes and urban fashions—implying that replacing respectable gambling with frivolous dancing represents cultural decline. The joke reflects contemporary anxiety about changing social values and urban entertainment trends.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Resourceful Housewife Lizzie, the inexperienced cook, poked her head in at the dining-room door. “ Please, ma'am,” she asked, “how will 1 know whin the pudd js cooked?” “ Stick a knife into it,” said her mis. Ircss—also inexperienced—recalling the instructions in the cook book. “If the knife comes out clean, the pudding is ready to serve.” | “Tl do that, ma'am.” “ And—oh, just a minute Lizzie.” The mistress had a bright idea. “ If the knife does come out éleao, you might stick all the rest of the knives into the pudding.” Youth's Companion. i | i HEN Londonderry reaches your table, it’s as pure and palatable | j : 2 when it gushes out of li the cool recesses of New !! Hampshire’s granite hills. If you don’t drink it now, just try it. LONGONdeTTY | is unusually palatable. It |} is an aid to appetite and | | digestion. it contains strong absorbent qualities that are highly beneficial. You will find London- derry, byeverytest, the best of American carbonated waters. You will also findit an especially fine blender. Sparkling (effervescent) in three table sizes. Plain (still) in half gal- lon bottles, and other sizes if desired. If you cannot obtain Londonderry locally, writeus. We willsee you cre supplied at regular retail prices. —— LONDONDERRY | p /LITHIASPRING [4 WATER CO. [| CLEVELAND, OHIO THE COMPLETENESS OF THE PEERLESS Car ts the completeness of a finished and well-rounded creation. Each of its qual- ities, mechanical efficiency, comfort, conventence and beauty, has been developed by painstaking ap- plication to the limit of its present possibilities, and blended in perfect balance with the others. One is unaware of them as separate elements; conscious only of supreme satisfaction in the unequalled result, THE PEERLESS MOTOR CAR COMPANY The New Sport “These here New Yorkers is bound to have their sports, I see,” said Uncle what way?” asked the boarder hy,” said Unele Silas, “since they sive up hoss-racin’ they've gone in fer the turkey trot. thet could be very exciti —Harper's Weekly. m to me's Watter (under notice): Steak not ten- der enough? Do you expect it to jump up and kiss you?—Tit-Rits A temrexaxce lecturer displayed to ence two geraniums, The first, al way, was a beauti- But the other vigorous plat cn dosed with a uch as this ‘s all right, and if I were a geran ium,” said a shabby man in the “Td stick to water exclusively am comicbooks.com