Life — February 5, 1914 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Page 216 of LIFE Magazine This page contains two humorous illustrations satirizing social behavior: **Top cartoon**: A domestic scene where a child refuses more ice cream, saying "I'm afraid I can't, but I don't mind tryin'!" The joke plays on a child's contradiction—claiming inability while demonstrating willingness. **Bottom section**: "Relief for Long Island Hostesses" mocks the social problem of young men's insobriety at dances. The article describes a ticketing system where gentlemen receive champagne at regulated intervals to maintain "equilibrium in the tango." The accompanying illustration shows a man examining his trousers with concern, captioned "These are the first suspenders that really seem to have any effect on my trousers"—joking that even suspenders fail when someone becomes sufficiently drunk and disheveled. Both pieces satirize upper-class social etiquette and its frequent failures.