Life, 1915-02-25 · page 9 of 44
Life — February 25, 1915 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top illustration labeled "A 'Faust' Audience" depicts an elaborate Renaissance or operatic court scene with elaborately dressed nobles and courtiers, suggesting a theatrical production. The caption notes these "season gowns must accord with the music," implying satire about pretentious operatic audiences obsessed with fashion conformity. The lower section, "Never Took the Medicine," argues against pacifism during wartime. The text critiques Christian ethics as ineffective against war, claiming governments reasonably reject pacifist medicine since "the patient doesn't take it." The accompanying illustration (unclear in detail) appears to reinforce this anti-pacifist stance, questioning whether disarmament represents genuine "liberty" and "pursuit of happiness." The page satirizes both elite cultural pretension and idealistic pacifism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
_ ie Cushing A “FAUST” AUDIENCE (To BE EN REGLE THIS SEASON GOWNS MUST ACCORD WITH THE MUSIC) Never Took the Medicine For ninetcen hundred years the ethics of Jesus of Nazareth have been in the world, but have had no effect to prevent or even reduce the evils of war, the greatest of the cvils which afflict’ mankind. —President Eliot, [MPALING is not so popular as it was; neither is crucifixion; but, of course, these are mere details. War is still abundantly objectionable. But one can’t reasonably complain that a medicine is no good when the patient doesn’t take it. Governments have never adopted Christian ethics. Individuals have, and with good re- sults, Even in this present war in- dividuals are kind and humane. The very fact that most intelligent modern men find modern war intolerable is an evidence of the effect of Christian ethics on the modern mind. A Laboratory ~ AOS RLWOT wy {8 THIS ONE OF THE “INALIENABLE RIGHTS TO LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAYPINESS "?