Life, 1915-12-02 · page 65 of 100
Life — December 2, 1915 — page 65: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon, "Bringing in the Boar's Head," depicts military officers from various nations (labeled Japan, Russia, Italy, Serbia) gathered around a dining table, raising what appear to be severed heads on pikes. This is wartime satire depicting World War I combatants metaphorically "feasting" on conflict. The boar's head—a traditional Christmas dish—becomes darkly ironic imagery for the brutality of war, suggesting these nations are celebrating destruction rather than peace during the Christmas season. The page's three shorter humor pieces ("Thoughts of Christmas," "Local Color," and the professor/child anecdote) are domestic comedy sketches about Christmas gift-buying anxieties, children's misconceptions about Santa, and musical instruction—standard light fare. The stark contrast between the cheerful holiday title and the grotesque war imagery creates the satire's bite: Christmas, traditionally a season of peace, is undermined by the ongoing devastation of the Great War.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Christmas Life BRINGING IN THE BOAR'S HEAD Thoughts of Christmas 'HEY were married at the beginning of December, and the twenty-fifth was approaching. “You know, little wife,” he said one evening, “ we mustn't have any secrets from each other, must we, sweet one?” “No, darling,” she whispered. “So,” he continued, “I want you to tell me how much you intend spending on a Christmas present for me, so that I can calculate how much money I shall have left to buy one for you.” Local Color ITTLE MISS SUBURBS: What time does Santa Claus leave the North Pole, mamma? MamMa Supurss: About seven o'clock. Littte Miss Supurns: And our clock says 6 mamma, he must be running for the train now. “NYJHAT is he noted for?” “He is either a literary man or a magazine writer, I can’t remember which.” Professor: 11's IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE THAT CHILD PLAY BY NOTE, “WOULDN'T HE LEARNED BY EAR?” BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IF HE comicbooks.com