Life, 1913-04-17 · page 36 of 52
Life — April 17, 1913 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page primarily advertises J.M. Barrie's tribute to George Meredith (a prominent Victorian author who died in 1909), promoting its publication in *The Ladies' Home Journal*. The satirical content appears in the poem "Eight Dollars a Week" by Robson Black. This piece mocks a Chicago Vice Commission's claim that shop-girls could live "honestly and comfortably" on eight dollars weekly—a poverty wage even then. Black's sarcasm exposes the absurdity: after deducting food ($3), transit ($1), and clothing ($2), nothing remains. The poem sardonically suggests girls earning so little face temptation toward vice, then cynically dismisses this concern with "good girls are good girls"—implying the claim itself is naive propaganda. The final jab at hypothetical twelve-dollar wages underscores that eight dollars is inadequate for genuine comfort or virtue. The satire targets not the workers but middle-class hypocrisy: wealthy merchants testifying that subsistence wages suffice, ignoring economic reality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ITT Aine La We iz Pan Lhe, ane Allies MR. J. M. BARRIE'S EXQUISITE TRIBUTE: THE DAY, AS THEY SAY, OF HIS FUNERAL This perfect classic: Mr. Barrie’s tribute to his friend, George Meredith, is now given for the first time in any magazine. Full of the most subtle fancy, and yet strongly expressive of his innermost beliefs, this won- derful piece of heart-expression is destined to rank with Mr. Barrie's most delicately beautiful work. It is in the May issue of THE LADIES’ HOME JOURNAL 15 Cents Everywhere ‘The Curtis Publishing Company, Independence Square, Philadelphia Ménace, who had a prodigious mem- ory, was once entertaining some ladies at the house of Mlle. de Rambouillet, quoting and reciting to them a thousand interesting extracts. But Mile. de R . who had more originality and good taste, told him: “ All this is very fine, my dear Ménage, but let us now have something of your own.” He that marries a widow and three children marries four thieves. —Anonymous. Tue wife of a sexton was interrupted in the middle of an harangue upon the hardness of the times by a person who offered to sell her a couple of ducks. “Ducks!” exclaimed she; “how can I buy ducks or anything else? We have not buried a living soul these six months!” Manataces are not as they are made, but as they turn out—lItelian Proverb. Py Eight Dollars a Week News item: “ Well-known merchants testified before the Chicago Vice Com- mission that a shop-girl can live hon- estly and comfartably on eight dollars a week,” IGHT dollars a week! The bulwark of virtue! The zone of contentment! The armor of honor! Eight dollars a week. Three dollars for grub-stake, \ cartwheel for transit, Two for 3 Two for some decent duds— —Eight for the week! venport, Eight dollars a week! Dare you to suggest A chance of the Tempter With poison-tipped bauble Climbing the rampart Of “ Eight-for-the-week "? Eight dollars a week! What more does a girl crave Than plenty of laundry; What other ambition Than sinkers and coffee, On five of the eight? Pshaw! What if twelve dollars Would lift her to comfort? Pshaw! Good girls are good girls And bad girls are bad girls And cight-dollars-a-week is— ht dollars a week. Robson Black. ST. MORITZ srivzere'aist World-renowned Mineral Sarings and Baths with latest Improverst THE SPORT CENTRE OF THE ALPS Y Nustrated Booklet fromm SWISS FEDERAL RAILWAYS, 241 Fifth Avenue. New You comicbooks.com