Life, 1913-01-02 · page 18 of 44
Life — January 2, 1913 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a satirical dialogue between two personified versions of "Lire" (likely representing Life magazine itself, or competing editors/voices within it). The two figures accuse each other of stirring up trouble—mocking doctors, grafters, socialists, suffragettes, philosophers, historians, and Mrs. Grundy (a symbol of conventional propriety). The joke turns on mutual recognition: each discovers the other is their exact duplicate, equally guilty of irreverent provocations. Rather than blame each other, they realize they've been unconsciously corrupting one another through shared influence. The satire critiques Life magazine's own contradictory positions—attacking multiple targets simultaneously while claiming moral authority. The resolution ("let's stick together") mockingly suggests complicity: the magazine's various satirical attacks stem from internal confusion, not principled consistency. The bottom illustration "GO HOME, FIDO!" appears unrelated—a dog or animal scene, possibly a separate feature.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Let's stick by each other unto the bitter end until WE RE did you come from?” “Where did you come from?” It was the busiest part of the day A long line of bishops was waiting Crowds of outside in the ante rooms. advertisers in another apartment were ing their copy for the next num- her. Doctors were writing out their encomiums. And in the midst of this orderly confusion, in the inner room where quietness reigned, the great dis- covery had come. No door had opened No window had gone up, And yet the evidence was substantial. Into the privacy of the sanctum a stranger had obtruded—or was it two strangers Lire looked at Lire. “You have great assurance to come in here at my busiest time.” “But I've been here all the You're the guilty wretch.” “Who are you, anyway “ Lire—thirty my early prime “Same here!” They glanced at cach other for a few moments. At last Lire said: “So you're responsible—are you? You've been ing up all this trouble, yetting everybody down on me!” “T don’t know anything about you— never saw you before. They’re down on me. And Tl bet you're the cause. You look mighty wicked and irrespon- sible, anyway.” “Um! I look like you, and T con- that isn’t saying much.” “You've been out making irreveren- tial fun of the suffragettes—and me here doing all the hard work!” “You work! Never did a stroke in pre} time. years old to-day--in fe: Intimate “LIFE: your whole career. Wasn't it you who stirred up the doctors “You insulted respectable grafters.” “Well, you're fond of animals!” “Pooh! You're half Socialist!” “That’s nothing! You're a misogy- nist!” “T don’t know what that means, but it sounds pretty bad: You're another!" “You've said awful things about philosophy !” You've joked at history and _polit- ical ‘economy ! “Nothing is sacred to you! even held women’s fashions up to ridi- cule!” “You've laughed at Mrs. Grundy!" At this point, Lire actually grabbed Lire. They looked at each other for some time in silence. Then Lire said: How long have you been here? Right along So've 1." “Do you know I’ve had a feeling for a long time that some one else has heen around?” “Same here.” “You've been secretly up to thing: You've putting me Interviews “Wasn't it you who stirred up the doctors? * “Well, you've done the same thing to me There was an interval of silence cach sat down at his respective desk. Finally Lire. said: “I'm wicked because you've been un- consciously influencing me.” “And I'm wicked for the same rea- Shall we quit?” “Never! Let's stick by each other unto the bitter end until—”" “Well, until we land in jail.” “Shake!” Thereupon they wished each other many happy returns of the day and both went back to work. “co HOME, FIDO!” comicbooks.com