Life, 1915-12-09 · page 40 of 48
Life — December 9, 1915 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **book advertisements** from circa 1915, with two distinct content areas: ## Left Side: New Literary Releases Publishers advertise novels by major authors (H.G. Wells, Jack London, Eden Phillpotts, Edgar Lee Masters, Ernest Poole) at $1.25-$2.00, positioning literature as culturally significant. The quoted reviews emphasize "great American" works and masterpieces, reflecting Progressive-era confidence in literature's importance. ## Right Side: Poetry & Humor The illustrated section presents "More About Ben Adhem," a satirical poem continuation by Leigh Hunt. The cartoon depicts **harem wives demanding women's emancipation**—a contemporary feminist joke. Ben Adhem cleverly requires wives to sign with their actual ages to prove eligibility, which no woman will do. The humor relies on age-related vanity defeating women's rights activism—a *anti-suffrage* joke mocking early 1900s feminism as vain and self-defeating. The "Skeletons" section (bottom) is mundane educational content about anatomical specimens. **Context: This reflects pre-1920 American attitudes toward women's suffrage through satirical dismissal.**
📄 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 novel that all those who care for what is best in literature must read. It is a book that matters; a novel that cannot be denied a place among the few books that crystallize the deeds and dreams of men. ‘ “Challenges discussion at a hundred points. Abounds in clever phrases and stimulating ideas."—N. Y. Times. 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 that stirs our wonder, fascinates us with days and deeds and absorbs us.""—Boston Transcript. EDEN PHILLPOTTS’ New Novel OLD DELABOLE “An unusual’ romance. . . . Its characters stand up boldly like monoliths against a gray sky. The struggle of life, and the philosophy of life, old age as well as youth, play their part in this fine tale.""—Chicago Tribune, $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. Frontispiece. $2.00 JOHN MASEFIELD’S New Book THE FAITHFUL “A notable work that will meet with hearty appreciation. . . . Rich in peouine, poetic beauty, Picturesque and strong as drama. . Remarkable for its literary qualiti The Nation. $1.25 EDGAR LEE MASTERS’ Novel in Verse SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY “The Greatest American Poetry Since Whitman's" “An American ‘Comedie Humaine’ brings more characters into its pages than any American, novel. «.. ,,Takes its place among the masterpieces which are not of a time or a jocality."—Boston Transcript. Cloth, $1.25. Leather, $1.50 ERNEST POOLE'S Remarkable Novel THE HARBOR “The Best American Nooel in ‘Many a Long Day” “The distinctive American novel of the year."—N. ¥. World. $1.40 WINSTON CHURCHILL'S New Novel A FAR COUNTRY “Not Only a Novel to Read, Bat @ Book to Keep” “No,one an afford to, miss reading A Far Country. "—N. Y. Times. Illustrated. $1.50 THE BEST NEW BOOKS FOR CHILDREN THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDING ROAD More Abou Ben Adhem— Leigh Hunt (Continued) "A BOU Ben Adhem (may his brides increase!) Awoke one day from a long reign of peace To find himself confronted by his wives Who, growing tired of their humdrum lives Behind the harem’s iron-fitted door, Proceeded then To hand up a typewritten Declaration (For him to sign) of their Emancipation. Abou Ben Adhem, checking back a jibe, Responded, “I am willing to subscribe (For I am one who loves his fellow-girls As well as men). Il sign it, if the eldest of my pearls Right under mine will write her name and age, Then the next elder—so on down the page, The youngest last, who must be thirty years To legalize the document, my dears— Such is the law! . . .” Foiled by Abou Ben Adhem's ready wit ‘That fixed an age they'd none of them admit, They all refused to “sign the Declaration.” , And ratified his reign by acclamation. ee ee ( Mahomet in his heaven chuckled when This line he saw =— The Angel marking with his Record Pen: “The name of him that ladies love the best (And lo, Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest.) Skeletons KELETONS are used in cemeteries, laboratories and CORNELIA MEIGS’ New Story for Children museums, After battles they are frequently bleached t This fanciful story of a wandering beggar and his flute—in reality a wonderful chil A MAID OF '76 ‘THE KNIPES' New Book for Girls “Interesting and instructive. It is rare that one gets as clear and satis- factory views of the belles and beaux of those good old times.” Mlustrated. $1.25 Idren. magical pipe—has an inescapable charm and beauty that will win the hearts of Colored Illustrations, $1.25 DEAL WOODS LATTA GRISWOLD’S New Book for Boys A new story which will certainly win the approbation of many boy read- ers. for it is full of vigor and the wholesome excitement of school life. Mustrated. $1.25 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Publishers New York Send for a Christmas Catalogue before being stored away for the winter. Everybody has a skeleton, without which one would fall around like a jellyfish, and instead of going to bed at night, we would have to be hung over a clothes-horse. Indeed, life without a skeleton would be one long, dreary flop. Skeletons come in a lot of assorted bones, which are more or less securely fastened together by the depart- ment-store clerk who fastened them together before they went out of the shop. When the first skeleton was con- Mor structed one of its bones got away and has caused much see trouble ever since. L Some wear clothes over their skeletons. NATH comicbooks.com