Life, 1915-09-02 · page 11 of 48
Life — September 2, 1915 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a satirical story illustrated with two cartoons. "The National Bird" (top) depicts a cowboy confronting a long-legged bird—likely representing American expansionism or imperialism meeting resistance. The main text tells an allegory: Josephus, a satisfied man content with grape-juice, is tested by the Lord through an Adversary (representing critics/press). Despite pressure to change, Josephus refuses self-improvement and instead appoints a "Board of Experts" to shame his critics rather than reform himself. The Lord, disappointed, allows his decline. The bottom cartoon ("Does He Drink? Not Yet") shows three men in a vineyard, illustrating the story's moral about stubborn resistance to legitimate criticism. The satire likely targets American complacency, stubbornness regarding social reform, or specific contemporary political figures unwilling to address public concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THF NATIONAL BIRD Josephus HERE was a man in the land of Buzz and his name was Josephus, And there was nothing that this man did not have except common sense and brains. Now, there came a day when the Lord of the Vineyard appointed a grape-juice festival. And lo, the Adversary Mars came and stood leaning upon his club, And the Lord of the Vineyard said, Whence comest thou? And the Adversary said, From wandering up and down upon the earth and from battle and murder and sudden death And he looked upon Josephus and said, This, thy servant, is a good man, full of the spirit of grape-juice and well satisfied with himself. But give me a chance at him and you will see what happens. Then the Lord said, Do any- thing, but spare his life. So the Adversary sent a great quantity of press criticism upon him and the navy officers to hate him, and Josephus cursed the day that he was born, and lifted up his eyes to Heaven and sa‘d, No longer am I self-satisfied nor will I essay to teach mankind, nor will I he pious and inflict my narrow-minded views on others; but lo, I will appoint a Board of Experts and put to shame the Adversary. Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man. So Thomasedison the East-Orangite and Henryford the Detroitite and Orvillewright the Acronaut went and did as the Lord commanded. And so the Lord blessed the latter end of Josephus more than his beginning. And Josephus sighed and said, "Twas public op'nion forced me From the Background: pores Me bRINK? to do it and I deserve nothing. And he resigned; full of “Not ver.” years and grape-juice. comicbooks.com