Life, 1914-07-16 · page 17 of 40
Life — July 16, 1914 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two separate satirical pieces: **"Another Abou"** (top): A poem by Carolyn Wells mocking pretentious poets. Abou Ben Rymer, a mediocre poet who has never even written spring poetry (a cliché of the era), appears on Fame's list of great poets simply by admitting his own worthlessness. The satire targets both self-deprecating false modesty and the arbitrary nature of literary reputation. **"A Society for the Prevention of Useless Societies"** (bottom): This satirizes the early 1900s proliferation of women's clubs and civic organizations in America. The joke is that a society created to *eliminate* other societies is itself useless and will paradoxically exist forever ("if you join you join for life"). The named officers—all variations of "Highbrow Van Rensselaer Meadowbrook"—mock the pretentious names wealthy women adopted for club leadership. The reference to women's club presidents desperate to resign satirizes how these organizations trapped their members in endless obligations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUST WHEN YOU HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT SHE IS ALWAYS HALF AN HOUR BEHIND Another Abou Abou BEN RYMER, may his fame increase, Awoke one night from dreams of Ancient Greece, And saw, within his attic cold and bare, A Vision sitting on a broken chair. “Hail,” Abou chanted. “Hast thou come this way To offer me a classic wreath of bay? Have I at last won glory and renown, And by my toil achieved the poet’s crown?” “Nay,” said the Vision, “I'm the Voice of Fame; I look for Poets worthy of the name.” “That’s me!" cried Abou. “No, I grieve to state,” Vision answered, really great.” “All right,” said Abou, “let it go at that. But just take it from me before you scat, I_don't amount to much of anything, But I have never written poems to Spring.” The Vision looked up with amazéd eyes The “you're not THE APPOINTED TIME And exclamations of intense surprise ; And when that list came from the Printer’s shop, Abou Ben Rymer’s name was ‘way up top! Carolyn Wells. A Society for the Prevention of Useless Societies RS. J. HIGHBROW VAN RENS- SELAER MEADOWBROOK, president. Mr. J. Highbrow Van Rensselaer Meadowbrook, secretary and errand boy. Miss J. Highbrow Van Rensselaer Meadowbrook, chairman of the Recep- tion Committee. Prospectus. The object of this society is two- fold. First, to get rid of all the societies that are established at pres- ent, and second, to prevent any new societies from being promulgated, or- ganized, formed or otherwise launched. Are you president of anything? Are you chairman of a committee? Have you ever been appointed as a member of any committee? If you are an American citizen you must have been, no matter where you live or what you are doing. By joining our society you will be doing the finest work that you have done so far: namely, to restore your- self and all other American citizens to a Non-Society-for-the- Prevention-of- New-Society-Basis. The enthusiasm which has greeted this new movement is boundless. A mass meeting will be held at Madi- son Square Garden to-night, to-mor- row night and other nights. (Suburban papers please copy.) In the afternoon a parade will form, headed by a solid phalanx of presidents of women's clubs, who have been trying to resign from their jobs for many years and have not dared to do it. Banners of protest will be seen all along the line of the parade. After we have eliminated all useless societies—which means practically all there are—this society will then dis- band. In other words, if you join you join for life. OVE is like an opossum. It is never tired of playing dead. comicbooks.com