Life, 1915-12-02 · page 86 of 100
Life — December 2, 1915 — page 86: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily book advertisements, but includes a cartoon titled "Love at First Sight" satirizing Christmas gift-giving among the wealthy and their treatment of poor relations. The cartoon depicts a man presenting gloves to a woman, accompanied by three cruel "gift messages." The Count's note is sarcastically romantic while deferring payment. Most biting is Aunt Hattie's message: she's an unwanted poor relative given gloves explicitly two sizes too small—meant for the gift-giver's wife. The message brutally catalogues the aunt's servitude (attic room, childcare, housework) while insisting she shouldn't expect gratitude, framing the gift as mere social convention to avoid neighbors' gossip. The satire targets upper-class hypocrisy: the pretense of generosity masking contempt, the calculation that passes for charity, and the exploitation of dependent relatives. It exposes how Christmas "spirit" could be weaponized to reinforce social hierarchy and obligation rather than genuine kindness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“A Wonderful and Extraordinary Book” H. G. WELLS’ NEW NOVEL THE RESEARCH MAGNIFICENT a book that matters, It is a novel that all those who care for what is best in literature must read. It is a book that speaks to the intelligence ; a novel that cannot be denied a place among the few books that crys- tallize the deeds and dreams of men. It is not a book for the reader of trashy novels, but a novel that must appeal to the reader of what is best and most significant in literature. Fourth Edition Now Ready. $1.50 JACK LONDON'’S New Novel THE STAR ROVER “ Must stand with the best of this author's works.”"—N. Y. Times. “Has wrought a book tkat stirs our wonder, fascinates us with days and deeds and absorbs us,"—Boston Transcript. $1.50 WINSTON CHURCHILL'S New Novel A FAR COUNTRY “*Not Only a Novel to Read, But a Book to Keep" “No one can afford to miss reading ‘A Far Country.’"—N, Y. Times, A verfully written story, displaying wonderful scope and clarity of vision.”—Boston Globe, “An American novel in all that that term implies."—Chicago Tribune. Hlustrated. $1.50 STEPHEN GRAHAM'S New Book on Russia THE WAY OF MARTHA AND THE WAY OF MARY A book revealing the true heart and mind of Russia by one who has lived with the people and knows their strange and beautiful country. Mlustrated. $2.00 EDGAR LEE MASTERS’ Novel in Verse SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY “The Greatest American Poetry Since Whitman’ An American ‘Comedie Humaine’ brings more character into its pages than any American novel. . . Takes its place among the masterpicces which are not of a time or a locality."—Boston Transcript, Cloth, $1.25, Leather, $1.50 ERNEST POOLE’S Remarkable Novel THE HARBOR “The Best American Novel in Many a Long Day"’ “The distinctive American novel of the year."—N. Y. World. $1.40 The Best New Books for Children THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDING ROAD CORNELIA MEIGS’ New Story for Children This fanciful story of a wandering beggar and his flute—in reality a wonderful magical pipe—has an inescapable charm and beauty that will win the hearts of children. Colored Illustrations. $1.25 A MAID OF ’76 THE KNIPES’ New Book for Girls “Interesting and instructive. It is rare that one gets as clear and satisfactory views of the belles and beaux of those good old times. Illustrated. $1.25 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Publishers New York Send for a Christmas Catalogue DEAL WOODS LATTA GRISWOLD'S New Book for Boys The fourth of Mr, Griswold’s famous “ Deal” stories, and one which will certainly win the ap- probation of many boy readers, for it is full of vigor and the wholesome excitement of school life. Illustrated. $1.25 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT rupted. Take this, dear love, and know it is the only gift I shall ever make you. I have the delicacy of feel- ing not to send the bill along with it. As I said before, it can wait until after the nuptials. Count Suyster pe Suyster. Aunt Hattie: You are the unwanted, plain, poor relation in our house- hold and we have to give you something because the neighbors would talk if we didn’t. Just because you do most of the work is an inadequate reason why you should expect a present, but this is a cruel world, It seems to us that your attic room and the made-over clothes and the joy of taking care of the children when we are entertain- ing or being entertained, ought to be enough. But we wish to be conventional, and so here is your Christmas present. We purposely got six pairs of nice gloves two sizes too small because they will just fit my wife, and she will promise that she will take them herself and get you some the right size—seeing that I have lost the check. Then she will forget about it until the mid-winter sale of seconds. Do you feel all right about this? Please do not consider yourself obligated, Aunt Hattie, because you can- not do all the spring sewing on account of your rheumatism. We want you to enjoy the holiday spirit with your Devotep RELATIVES. Dave: Maybe this will taste good to you. You used to like my fried chicken. I haven't any money to buy presents with, but the warden says I can send in something to eat on Christmas. It will take you back to the time when you were a little boy and used to eat fried chicken and didn’t think of ever doing anything men call wrong. Merry Christmas—I'li be waiting for you—Mothers don’t forget.