Life, 1914-08-13 · page 10 of 40
Life — August 13, 1914 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**"Tempting the Public"** satirizes clergymen contributing magazine articles. The text suggests a Delaware reverend named Rhode pitched sermon-writing to magazines so clergy could learn to make sermons "interesting." The satire questions whether magazines need more clerical content or if such pieces would actually improve sermons. **"Kindliness"** is a brief humorous anecdote about a horse's gentle nature—likely a palate-cleanser between satirical pieces. **"Decline and Fall of a Best Seller"** mocks author Pikkins through a publisher dialogue, suggesting his recent work and promotional efforts are inferior to previous success. The accompanying dark illustration appears to show industrial or mechanical chaos, supporting the "decline" theme. **"A Lasting Impression"** is a domestic joke about a wife crediting her dinner's success to her husband's presence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
co We) Ls si ia Tempting the Public DEAS sometimes come from clergymen, even when they live in Delaware, A reverend gentleman named Poole, who hails from Wilmington, suggests that hereafter clergymen practice writing for the magazines, in order that they may learn how to make their sermons interesting. The obvious thing to say to this is that the magazines are bad enough already. The real question is, however, whether they would be any worse if clergymen wrote for them, or whether the sermons would be any better if the clergymen adopted a magazine style. In this cese it would be in order for each clergyman, before he begins his sermon, to state: “This is the best sermon of the month. It is full of human interest, and works up to an absorbing climax.” “My circulation in this church is increasing by leaps and bounds, Over a hundred more to-day. If you thought my last sermon was a corker, listen to this. I'm crazy about it.” Kindliness NCE upon a time there was a Republic of Horses, and men were beasts of burden there. Now, a certain kindly old horse never passed a man hitched by the way but he would stop and pat his nose. “Nice manny!” he would say, benignly. It wasn’t altogether certain that men liked that sort of thing, but at all events there could be no doubt as to the INBAD THE SAILOR P . old horse's good intentions. Decline and Fall of a Best Seller IRST PUBLISHER: I'm afraid Pilkins is falling off in his style. Seconp Pustisner: Why, isn’t his last book good? “Oh, yes, the book is all right, but the book reviews and advertising notices he has been doing for it are not his best.” A LASTING IMPRESSION Dazed Chauffeur (who has landed on top of wee gg uns: TDIETS’S DINNER WAS A GREAT SUCCESS, DOH'T car): SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED TO MY She: YS. WERE YOU THERE? STEERING-GEAR! “wHY, I TOOK you IN.”