Life, 1914-03-26 · page 32 of 41
Life — March 26, 1914 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **advertisements and a serialized fiction story**, with minimal political satire. The main narrative depicts a wealthy railroad president and his aging servant "James," who announces his retirement. James claims life has become uninteresting—he's exhausted new experiences, scandals repeat themselves, and dominating subordinates no longer satisfies him. The social commentary here reflects **early 20th-century anxieties about aging and purposelessness** among the elite, though presented sympathetically through the servant's philosophical resignation. The humor in the accompanying illustration shows a woman surprised by what she finds on her fork—a visual pun about uncertainty and class service. The surrounding advertisements (Blue Peter Cigarettes, Grove Park Inn in Asheville, Contrexeville Water) are standard period marketing with no apparent political message. The "Carstairs Rye" whiskey ad references spirits from 1788 and 1914, likely emphasizing brand longevity. This page functions primarily as entertainment and advertising rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Finest Resort Hotel BLUE PETER CIGARETTES Finest $2.50 a Hundred, Our patented parafiine box keeps Blue BLUE PETER C CO., 76 Beaver St., N. Y- IGARETTE UPTOWN BRANCH, 1578 Broadway, Near 48th St. In the World Has been built at Sunset Mountain, Asheville, N. C. Absolutely Fireproof. An old-fastioned Inn—walls five feet, thick, of granite boulders. ‘Water from slopes of highest mountain east of Rockies; milk and cream sup- plied cache by Biltmore Dairies on estate of George W. Vanderbilt; finest golf links in the South adjoin Hotel, Write for rates and Booklet B. GROVE PARK INN Sunset Mountain, A LADY, WHO WAS BUILT IN THIS WISE, SAID, “IT’S REALLY A PLEASANT SURPRISE. I NEVER KNOW WHAT ON MY FORK I HAVE COT TILL T GET IT QUITE UP TO MY EYES!” Open All the Year Asheville, N. C. “What for?” “ Because life is no longer interesting to me.” Startled by the very words that he himself had used only a moment be- * fore, the great railroad president leaned forward. He did not immedi- ately realize that they had lived so long together as to think alike. “Explain yourself.” “It is quite simple. I am growing old. This in itself would not matter, sir, but the truth is that my enthu- siasm has been killed. In my time I have dominated everyone beneath me. No one in the servant's hall dared speak without my permission. I took pleasure, week after week, in discov- ering some new .method of doing things, something that would add to your comfort, or gave me a greater sense of my art—for believe me, sir, FSPIRIMSCORBIZSS) AND GF 1014s there is just-as.much art in being a good servant as there is in‘ being a master.” “TI understand that, James.” “Well, sir, I have exhausted all the things that it is worth while for a man todo, Conversations are no longer in- teresting to me. Every new scandal that develops is new only in its form— fundamentally it is the same old thing that has been going on ever since 1 was a boy. As it is impossible to go on, I ‘have therefore determined to retire. I have saved up a little money, and I shall end my days on a small farm, with nothing but the thought of death to cheer me up.” His master got up and walking over to his old servant, put his hand familiarly on his shoulder. said, “I shail miss you—more than I can say. I have come to depend upon you, even to love you in all these years, and to part with you in one sense is a great trial.” He suppressed a hidden smile. “Be assured that you have my last- ing friendship. And now leave me.” As the old servant went out, the “all THE MAN OVER FIFTY SHOULD DRINK CONTREXEVILLE SOURCE DU PAVILLON WATER PARTICULARLY VALUABLE FOR EVERY-DAY USE FOR THOSE WITH ACID EXCESS ASK YOUR PHYSICIAN— ‘THE MAN OP SEDEXTARY HABITS AXD THE BUSY MAN SHOULD DRINK CONTREXETILLE warmer Lieratare and Golde to Contrexertile from MORRIS & SCHRADER, Distributors 8 Barclay Street + - New York