Life, 1912-12-26 · page 13 of 41
Life — December 26, 1912 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This poem by Jeannie A. Reed humorously compares the social status and desirability of unmarried women versus widows in early 20th-century society. The satire highlights how a woman's marital status determined her value: - **Maids** are depicted as desirable but economically dependent (diamond, formal table d'hôte, promissory notes) - **Widows** are portrayed as more financially secure (ready money) but less romantically appealing The poem cynically suggests that men cannot decide between youth/beauty and financial stability. The accompanying illustration, "The Old Man's Darling," appears to depict an elderly man with a younger woman, reinforcing the satirical point about economic transaction in marriage rather than romantic love.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HEIR rival claims to reign supreme, Can Man decide in no case: The maid's the diamond in the stream— The widow's in the showcase. The maid's a formal table d’hite— ‘The widow's cakes-and-honey. The maid’s a promissory note— The widow's ready money. Maid, or Widow The maid's the latest book on sale— —seductive The widow is a twice-told tale But thrilling—deep—instructive! The maid's a soldier of the line— A brave but artless yeoman The widow gives the countersign, And takes the sleeping foeman! Pure fiction—swe THE OLD MAN'S DARLING O pretty bread-and-butter Miss, And bread-and-sugar Madam! There's nothing really new in this; Your claims date back to Adam: When Abel died, his weeping bride The question first gave rise to, Which Man can never quite decide. (i wonder if he tries t Jeannie A. Reed. comicbooks.com