Life, 1912-09-19 · page 4 of 44
Life — September 19, 1912 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page features a satirical illustration and advertisement for *Life* magazine's upcoming "Ministers' Number." The cartoon depicts a group of people (appearing to be clergy or ministers based on context) gathered around a table, with the caption "Be good and you'll be lonesome"—attributed to Mark Twain. The image humorously suggests that virtue isolates people socially. The text below promotes an upcoming special issue devoted to ministers, describing it as "Full of Good Things" and "intensely and devoutly frivolous." The satire appears to mock both ministerial pomposity and the magazine's playful irreverence toward religious authority—suggesting that a magazine issue about ministers would paradoxically be frivolous rather than serious. This reflects *Life*'s reputation as a publication that satirized American institutions, including the clergy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Be good and you'll be lonesome” ‘said Mark Twain. But then he little realized that The e é Ministers’ ife j ail Number of Offer Enclosed find Full of Good Things (Canaan Sti. Foreign $1.26). Send LIFE for three months to is coming next week. For some time we have been trying to conceal this number from the American people. We shall say noth- ing about it ourselves (price ten cents as usual) except that it is intensely and de- voutly frivolous. No minister should And then the Dramatic This great number, issued on October first, ushers in the dra- matic season. . Open only to new subscribers; no subucription be without renewed at this rate. This order must come to . us direct; not through an agent or dealer. it. LIFE, 17 West 31, New York ONE YEAR $5.00, (CANADIAN $5.52, FOREIGN $6.04.)