Life, 1914-02-12 · page 9 of 44
Life — February 12, 1914 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon, titled "BREAKERS AHEAD," depicts a tattoo artist showing his work to a sailor. The sailor's caption reveals he's planning to marry someone named "Maud" next month. The joke targets working-class sailors' impulsive romantic decisions—getting tattoos of girlfriends' names was common practice, but often led to regret if relationships failed. Below is a poem, "Song For Saint Valentine's Day," celebrating an idealized woman, paired with an illustration titled "NOT WORRYING" showing women reading together outdoors. The page satirizes romantic sentimentality and male naiveté about commitment, contrasting the sailor's hasty tattoo decision with literary idealization of women. The humor relies on period-specific understanding of tattoo culture and sailor stereotypes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
te BREAKERS AHEAD “SAY, CAP, 1S THERE ANY WAY OP GETTIN’ THESE THINGS OUT? 1'M GOIN’ TO BE MARRIED NEXT MONTH AND HER NAME IS MAUD" Song For ‘Saint Valentine's N “uplifter” is one who is shocked at the sight of the tango and then goes D and applauds a sex-problem play. ay There is no starry power Can praise her overmuch Who's fairer than the flower That knows her gentle touch; Hers is the melody Of all the birds that sing, And she, where’er she be, Is my eternal spring! Rapt winds, or low or loud, The dawn’s first golden ray, Clear rill and sunset cloud, No fitting laud have they! Love's own immortal hand Had her for perfecting, And she, through all the land, Makes my eternal spring! - Clinton Scollard. NOT WORRYING comicbooks.com