Life, 1914-07-02 · page 24 of 44
Life — July 2, 1914 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces from *Life* magazine: **Top illustration:** A Fourth of July scene with anthropomorphic animals (appears to be depicting immigrants or working-class figures) celebrating, with text joking that "St. Peter says he's expecting a thousand more little girls and boys"—likely a dark reference to high infant mortality rates among poor or immigrant populations in early 20th-century America. **"First Causes" (main text):** Two babies engage in philosophical debate about the concept of "mother," treating it as an abstract metaphysical problem rather than a concrete fact. The satire mocks pseudo-intellectual pseudo-philosophy and religious debates of the era—the babies' pretentious vocabulary and circular reasoning about faith versus reason reflect contemporary intellectual arguments. One baby references a "Josephus Daniels cocktail" (Secretary of the Navy under Wilson, known for naval prohibition policies), adding topical humor. The accompanying sketch "Her South-Paw" shows a man and woman in a dispute, likely depicting marital conflict. The overall theme appears to be satirizing overintellectualization and abstract thinking removed from simple reality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“OH, JOHNNY! TO-MORROW’S THE FOURTH OF JULY THOUSAND MORE LITTLE GIRLS AND Boys!” First Causes T was a quict hour in the afternoon. The two babies sat solemnly play- ing together on the nursery floot “T learned a new word to-day,” said the first baby. “It appears to be con- nected, in some remote manner, with a person who apparently had something. to do with us before we came into conscious existence. Indeed, I may say. o “You're an awful bore,” interrupted the second baby. “It takes you so long to make a simple statement. Out with that word.” “ Mother.” “Mother! What did you say it meant? I'm a bit obtuse to-day. That Josephus Daniels cocktail I had con- tained more than three fingers of cream, It made me heavy.” “Well. mother, as I understand, an unknown being who produced us. “Oh, a force or a person?” “That is precisely where I am un- decided. There are moments when I believe in a personal mother; then again, a first cause.” “ But even then, after you had settled that doctrinal point, you would come to another.” “And that?” “Who made mother?” The first baby reflected for a mo- ment, “Oh, well that isn’t fai claimed at last. “One must have a belief. you know. It’s largely a ques- tion of faith, anyway.” He leaned toward a large, empty, rectangular paper box cover and drew it towards hira with his chubby fingers. “Now, here,” he said, “is an in- stance. In an idle moment I have been attempting to decipher the inscription HER SOUTH-PAW colon LOOOE/e8- comichbooks,