Life, 1913-09-18 · page 8 of 44
Life — September 18, 1913 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This short story depicts two exhausted strangers meeting in a back alley. The first character complains about being "overworked"—mentioning that "every school child, every college boy, porters, politicians, old and young, rich and poor, men, women, children and babies have all had their try at me." The second stranger, introduced as "Vital," responds by saying there's "only one instant" to escape their shared burden. **The satirical point**: This appears to be personifying abstract concepts—likely "Hope" and "Vital" (as mentioned in the issue's subtitle "While there is Life there's Hope")—as fugitives fleeing from constant public overuse and misapplication. It's social commentary on how these idealistic concepts are exhausted by constant, often shallow invocation by all social classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
464 SEFT. ts, 1913 xo “etd | “Whale there ts Life there's Hope’” Published by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY J. A. Mircuset, A. Mittex, Pres't Sec’y and Treas. 17 West Thirty-first. Street, New York Enghsn Offices, Cannon House, Breams | Bigs, London, F. € | WING to Mr. Martin’s absence in Europe, readers of Lire will be deprived of his editorials during the next few issues. Life’s Fresh Air Fund Inclusive of 1912, Lare’s Fars Air Fux has been in operation twenty-six years. In that time it has expended $139,304.44 ond has given @ fortnight in the country to 34.748 poor city children. The Fund ws supported entirely by bequests and voluntary contributions, which are ace knowleged in this column, Previously acknowledged . + $6,408.50 Max Baum : 2.00 S. A. Gillespie . 6.00 Eva A. Burke .......- 10.00 William De Witt W Nowa $460 Clara MeD. Carley... é 10.00 M. A. Emerson. s.09 Wm. W. Laird. ee 1.00 * From an interested friend" ... 1.00 R. L. McKay. 3.00 Mrs, Howard T. Gardenier. 10.00 In memory of my brother. 1.00 Jos. R. Dilworth... 23.00 Proceeds of a play given by twelve children ateHewitt Lake; also from a sale by Cornelia and Sally Sage, Kate White and Cora McElroy. Postals from the Farm Dear Hen Am well and received your postal I wrote you that I am coming home Tues- day the roth at 8.13 please send me some moncy I am in debt. answer me as soon as you receive this Dear Brother Tam having a fine time in the country we have fine beds we get good cats we Ro picture taking we go sour grapes good bye brother tell the folks is was asking for them forom Jeremiah Cooke lifes farm branchville conn. “Te FECE The Fugitives cr was in a back literary alley, just off from the main current of the world's great moving throng. The two strangers, both completely exhausted, had stopped in this sheltered place for a moment to rest. “Maybe I'm not all in!” panted the first stranger. “ Talk about being overworked! Every school child, every college boy, porters, politicians, old and young, rich and poor, men, women, children and babies have all had their try at me.” “Your slightly vulgar appearance, said the second stranger, beginning to recover his accustomed hauteur. “leads me to believe that you are the associate of common people. But how would you like to be harried by high- brows, set upon by — psychologists, beaten to+a frazzle by editorial writ- ers, impaled by essayists, throttled by college professors, and hung out naked by book reviewers? Besides, I really have decent instincts. There is good in me. I come from a fine family—if they would give me a chance for my life, By the way, what word are you My name is Sure. And you?” “My name is Vital.” They shook hands silently, bound by a common suffering. The crowd had She: No, 1 von’T KNOW HOW SWIM, BUT I'D LIKE TO LEAR”. caught sight of them and was in full cry after them up the alley, “Glad to have caught this glimpse of the other most overworked word in the English language,” said Vital. “There's only an instant for me to take off my hat to you,” said Sure. And then they were swept once more out into the current. BASEBALL TERM GAME CALLED ON ACCOUNT OF RAIN comicbooks.com