Life, 1915-10-21 · page 18 of 52
Life — October 21, 1915 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces mocking American social dynamics during the pre-WWI era: **"The Petted Husband"** satirizes role-reversal marriages where the husband is financially dependent and emotionally manipulated. The wife uses guilt and helplessness to prevent her husband from attending to business, then takes him on vacation anyway—but tells friends *he* needed the trip. The satire targets both emasculated husbands and domineering wives who claim fragility while wielding power. **"Send This to Your Local Congressman"** is a mock-sincere letter sardonically urging representatives to skip the upcoming Congressional session, since the country "ran along fairly well" without them all summer. This reflects widespread Progressive-era cynicism about governmental ineffectiveness. **"The Centaur"** cartoon depicts what appears to be mythological creatures at a table, with a waiter serving. The caption suggests absurdist humor (ordering "sirloin steak and hay"). The final joke mocks a woman claiming to attend her grandmother's funeral repeatedly—implying she's lying to escape obligations, while her interlocutor notes the grandmother has nine lives (or nine siblings).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Centaur: walter! PORTION HI THERE, The Petted Husband 'HE petted husband and his wife were amiably discussing the ad- visability of a trip to Palm Beach, in order that the wife of the petted hus- band could get back some of the strength that, with her, wasn’t so latent as the distinguished physician who called upon her some time during the petted husband's office hours thought it ought to be. “The only trouble, darling,” said the petted husband, “is this: that if you should want me to go with you I should have to leave my business just at the period when I am most needed to make our profits large enough for me to maintain you in the proud posi- tion to which you have been accus- tomed. On the other hand, should I remain behind, the first of the month will come without your being here, and the thought of opening all the bills for things you have ordered but forgotten to mention, without your moral support, is rather disconcerting.” “And I suppose,” said the wife of the petted husband, “you have not considered that if I should go alone MRING ME A SIRLOIN STEAK AND A OF HAY there would be no one, absolutely no one, to see about my baggage, arrange about the sleeping compartments and hotel rooms and protect me from being insulted by total strangers. I should think, after our being married all these years, you ought to feel pretty good about my wanting you to go, anyway, and you would if you had a spark of human feeling in you.” Thereupon the petted husband inter- viewed the tourist agencies, saw the hotel representatives, made arrange- ments to stave off his creditors and close up his business for six weeks. At Palm Beach the wife of the petted husband remarked to a friend: “Yes, I brought my petted husband along. The poor man absolutely needed a change of scene.” Nantucket Still Motorless The last seashore fastness of har- ness was Mt. Desert. Lire, Sept. 23, 1915. Nantucket does not ad- that it has admitted OT quite. mit yet automobiles. Send This to Your Local Congressman EAR SIR: As you are doubtless aware, there will be a session of Congress in De- eember, I want you to consider not going. I was one of your constituents who voted for you. Some one, I thought, had to be elected, and inasmuch as your name was printed upon the ballot, I cast my vote for you, although I had never heard of you before beyond a head-line or so, and knew absolutely nothing about your qualifications, This, however, is not what I mean just now. But we have been running along all summer without any Congress, and we've been doing fairly well. Why not, therefore, do your share? Refuse to go any more, If all the others will do likewise the effect upon the country will be incalculable. I urge you to take this step at once. Don't go. (Signed) ——- —— AN inquiring friend asks Lire whether there is any likelihood of our adopting for a national anthem that stirring song, “ We're raising all our sons to serve as German door- mats.” “ WHAT'S THAT? WANT TO GO TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S FUNERAL? WHY, YOU'VE COT AWAY FOR THAT FOUR TIMES AL- READY !"" “YES, SIR—YOU KNOW SHE HAS NINE comicbooks.com