Life, 1913-09-25 · page 12 of 43
Life — September 25, 1913 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Image**: An early airplane photograph, likely from the early 1900s, showing a primitive aircraft in flight over terrain. **Main Article**: A letter to the editor criticizing women's fashion changes. The writer complains that ladies' clothing has become increasingly scandalous—skirts shorter, lingerie visible. He argues this represents moral decline and blames such fashion changes for social problems like divorce and population decline. **Social Context**: This reflects early 20th-century anxieties about women's liberation. As women gained more freedom and independence, conservative observers saw shorter hemlines and more practical clothing as threats to traditional morality and family stability. **Right Cartoon**: "Single Tax"—depicts a bachelor at his desk, likely satirizing tax policy debates of the era. The page captures period concerns about modernization and changing gender roles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I'M SORRY, BUT 1 CANNOT BE YOUR WIFE. 1 WISIt TO RE ALONE. LEAVE ME, he legalize. “I should die of shames if I should see my Wife promenading in street clad in such a lack.” “1 do not blame you,” she snagger snubbishly. “I once saw your Wife in bathing suit and can sympathize with you.” Hon. Judge feel considable contempt of court for this remark, yet he could not hang her, because her :style had not killed anybody yet. “ Who is it buys the purchase of your wardrobe, such as i he ask to know. “My husband,” she pronounce. “T shall arrest him, for failure to provide,” he renig hashly. So he lock up court in time to go codfish. Mr. Editor, numberous reformers is making weep-voice because ladies is coming out in worse & worse. Yet I are less alarmed. Styles is like other forms of advertisement—they are made AND Now to create look-at, and when this stop, they stop also. Ladyfashions is always worse than formerly, yet never so bad as they was. If you think 1913 is hideolous, look at 1880; if you think that ugliferous, observe 1870. Before the Uncivil War considerable preachers made considerable shock because ladies wore their lingeries next to their shoes, In reign of Gen. Arthur gentlemen en- joyed much sorrow because ladies wore their skirts in Psyche knots behind their backs. And now they create peev because ladies does not wear siffi- ciently enough anywheres. At what periodical time of civiliza- tion have not mankind scolded lady- kind for something she took on or put off? You would think from how they act that gentlemen must detest ladies for looking so homely. Yet suicide, divorce & population increases annu- Legs EGS are used for various pur- poses; to display in windows, to provide cold feet in winter, to cross, to wear silk stockings upon, and to rest on while getting out of one’s auto. It is said that they were once em- ployed for purposes of walking. Legs come in immense variety, es- pecially on windy days, and vary in size from a match stiék to a meal bag. Every leg has a calf that follows its parent leg around and never leaves it. Legs also come in pairs, except just after a war. Then sometimes a leg will go about all alone without even a chaperon; at other times it will have a half brother made of cork or wood. The owner usually has it made of wood, as he hates to use up good cork for any other purpose than for what it has been intended by an all- wise Providence. But we are wander- ing from our subject. Legs also come in groups. When not in use, they are hung carelessly from the side; at a dinner party great care should always be displayed in distributing them under the table in order that they may do as little dam- age as possible. ally, which show that ladies can never dress too fashionable to be loved by someone. Hoping you are the same Yours truly Hasutmura Toco. (Per Wallace Irwin.) comicbooks.com