Life, 1914-04-09 · page 8 of 40
Life — April 9, 1914 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct sections: **"Kettle Song"** (upper left): A nostalgic poem celebrating the warmth of hospitality and tea-drinking, attributed to Juliet Wilbor Tompkins. **"Taking the Thing to Heart"** (lower left): A simple line-drawing cartoon showing a man and woman in what appears to be a romantic or flirtatious interaction, likely humorous social commentary on courtship or relationships. **"Women and Dancing"** (lower right): An essay questioning why fewer women excel as dancers compared to men, citing observer accounts from metropolitan dance venues. It references John Stuart Mill's ideas about women maintaining moral excitement, then sardonically suggests women either lack interest in dancing or won't abandon household duties for it—social satire on women's limited opportunities and societal constraints. The overall theme addresses social customs, gender roles, and domesticity in early 20th-century America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Kettle Song (To a Familiar Air.) HE kettle’s song, in early days, A glow of welcome spread; ]t warmed the heart to homely ways That now, they say, are dead. And yet the kettle of to-day Pours out as bright a stream, And friendship’s cup is still as gay With lemon or with cream. With lemon or with cream, my dear, Or just a drop of rum— You'll find a welcome in its steam, A song beneath its hum. The folk go-rushing round the town, Intent on divers ends; The kettle bids them all sit down, And turns them into friends. Or while the cozy tea is dredged, It sings them to a dream, And lovers’ vows are sweetly pledged hh lemon or with cream. With lemon or with cream, my dear, Or_just a drop of rum— ou'll find a welcome in its steam, A’ song beneath its hum. Juliet Wilbor Tompkins. Locals of the Near Future RS. BILLINGTON PANHAN- DLER entertained a party of garbage men in her Fifth Avenue home last evening. Cots were laid for two hundred. All reported a pleasant time. The Rev. Bloward Bumpup, of the St. Stylus Baptist Tabernacle, is having his church fitted up with the patent Hobo Folding Bed. Early morning services have been discontinued ow- ing to the annoyance caused among the all-night guests. Afternoon tea for overworked degen- erates will be served every afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is now the headquarters for the Tramps’ Union. PLANTING Fork ARVARD Out, Fathers undergraduates have raised nearly twelve thousand dollars for a big new gymnasium, The gymnasium committee (an undergrad- uate committee apparently) discloses this achievement, and adds: Tt is now, also, plainly the duty of the graduates to take up their share of the work, and respect the confidence that the college has placed in them. There we have the spirit of the age. “The college” is the undergraduat They point out to their elders their plain duty and compliment them by the expectation that they will step up and discharge it. Now then, parents, be dutiful! Women and Dancing HY is it that there are not so many good dancers among the women as among the men? This is the statement that comes to us from those who have had the opportunity of careful observation among the dancers of the metropolis. We understand that-at the Thés Dansants the graceful woman dancer, who knows and executes the tango and other modern dances, is hard to find. Many are called but few are chosen to this form of ,exercise. John Stuart Mill says that women excel men in the power of keeping up sustained moral excitement, and this observation is quoted by William James to the credit of women. But can dancing be said to be moral excitement? Some women evidently think it is, or they wouldn't, of course, leave their household duties to indulge in it. TAKING THE THING TO HEART comicbooks.com