Life, 1912-09-19 · page 24 of 44
Life — September 19, 1912 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces on contemporary American social behavior. **"A True Bill"** addresses women's bathing attire and public modesty. Recent weeks saw authorities in Atlantic City and Narragansett prohibiting or criticizing women's bathing suits as immodest. The piece argues that while nakedness is normal in warm climates, American critics are "right in scolding" women—framing immodesty as a moral/mental quality rather than mere exposure. This reflects 1916 anxieties about changing women's fashion and public behavior. **"A Diagnosis"** (accompanying the illustration) humorously depicts a mother scolding a child who "indulged in green apples" and caught a stomach ailment. The joke appears to be simple domestic/medical humor rather than political satire. The page primarily functions as a book review section ("Confidential Book Guide") alongside these lighter editorial commentaries on manners and morality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Blinds Down, vy Morace Annesley Thumb nail essays on modern religion. iL PFE << ;CONFIDENTIAL BOOK GUIDE *J-~/= By J. B. KERFOOT The Search Party, by G. A. Birming- Vachell. A pair of contrasted Jove Ethical post-toasties—crisp, crunchy, pal- ham. A delicious yarn by an Irish stories hitched tandem in an enjoyable atable and nutritious. novel. A by Bottled Sunshine, by Mary ¥ homas R. V ing genre study. autobiographic cx-pessin to how to be happy though livi The Drunkard, by Guy Thorne. A vividly gruesome pic coholism, embedded in ale of hereditary criminal coincidences, terpret The Fall Guy. by Bra collection of good oper ries, ranging in theme from the politic: Whistleria lithographs ion, ced short sto- Goldrin temper. incidents. thin ice. In Cotton Wool, by W. B. Maxwell. vpon the case of a young man afraid of — versatile writer's being uncomfortable. The Labyrinth of Life, by E, A. U. Valentine. Much enigrammatic ado about i» American writer in Paris, who mis- took a torpid liver for a philosophic ber Lame and Lovet. Thompson and ty will prove of value to all collectors of | Another of the s: and students of Whistler's is being imported ex bloc, b One of Us, by Ezra Brudno. The auto- sre of the pathology biography of a crippled musician. — fluorescent. morbid melodrama that poses as an in- White. A vivid pipe dream tale about a d Whitlock. A The Permanent A jolly ments, in Uncle, by Douglas tale of t which a} and’ criminal underworld to Civil War author docs some graceful s\ The Principal Girl, by J. C. Snaith, ‘Fe A complete and carefully compiled report Still another amusing’ novelty from this Problems of Sex. by Professors Arthur atrick Geddes. A minia- n of surprising scope ling biologically with some cis Dwyer. by Frank Crane. common perplexitics. writer who will bring rank Stockton to mories of James McNeill Whistler, he minds of his American readers. A volume which Spanish Gold, by m0 A. Birmingham. Mr. Birmingham ut the fresh- lity of his work scem to ness and qua warrant it, nA The Sign at Six, by Stewart Edward crazy scientist. who took. to_ playing cosmic practical jokes on New York, avel and The Unofficial Secretary, by Mary footed Ridpath Mann. Descriptions of travel ating on in South America, into which has been injected a sickly-sentimental “love in- White Ashes. by Sidney R. Kennedy well stocked bag of and Alden G. Noble. A novelty in the form of a business story that sticks to business. and makes it interesting. A tale of fire insurance. id The White Waterfall, by James Fran- A rather crude tale of the ard school, Rider Ha A True Bill OMA) dress—or her lack of it—has been severely criticised of recent weeks. In Atlantic City the authorities prohibited ladies walking about in the streets in bathing suits. At Narr: ansett the immodesty of wom- an’s clothes was made the subject of a public essay by a reformer. At other points on the horizon our women have been censured for loudness and reckless In this climate we have learned more or less ourselves up. N kposure. to cover Iness—except on the banks of swim- ming holes, in Turkish baths and at the opera—is com- paratively unknown. A few hundreds of miles farther south, where the sun shines warm throughout the year, nakedness is normal and shockless. Nevertheless, we believe the critics are right in scolding our women folk, Immodesty is a quality—or an abnormal- ity—of the mind. On Going to Church CCORDING to the newspapers, there has been a gen- eral complaint from the churches over the slim at- tendance this year. Never before, during the summer months, have so few people gone to church. Without be- ing too dogmatic, we suspect that our friends, the suf- iragettes, have something to do with this. Women have been the mainstay of the churches for many years. As they become more masculine in their habits, it is quite natural and inevitable that they should take the same course as the majority of men. Most men stay away from church because they believe they have more important thin to do. Now that the ladies are making stump speeches, preparing papers, or- ganizing meetings and getting voters, church is naturally relegated to the background. A DIAGNOSIS Mother: wuy, poppie, WHAT 1S THE MATTER? B. (who has indulged in green apples) : 1 GUESS 1GOT A THUNDER STORM IN MY STUAIAUICK. comicbooks.com