Life, 1916-01-20 · page 15 of 44
Life — January 20, 1916 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several distinct pieces: **"The Poet"** — A poem by Charlotte Becker about artistic inspiration and nature. **"The Buffer"** — A cartoon depicting what appears to be a domestic dispute. A man and woman are shown near a carriage, with the woman saying she won't attempt reconciliation if "anything were to happen" and that she'd "never forgive" herself. The term "buffer" likely refers to the man's role as a mediator or intermediary—possibly between the woman and her critical mother, referenced in the dialogue. **"Answers to Correspondents"** — Advice column responses, including one about an elephant's bad influence and another noting that America resembles "a child that says 'Perhaps there's a bear on the stairs.'" The satirical tone throughout mocks both domestic tensions and American anxiety, though specific historical context remains unclear from the visible content alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Poet UP hill, down dale, his vagrant fancy roves In quest of loveliness; through gardens fair, Haunted by ancient dreams, to classic groves Where Pan still pipes a wild and wistful air. Then on again, with here and there a glance At joy ar grief. Yet, ever of sweet rhyme Weaving a song to waken lost romance: The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood of Time. Charlotte Becker. The Buffer DON'T mind your being a suffragist, Estelle, but T don’t see any reason why you should talk about it all She: on DEAR! HOW pO 1 LOOK? the time.” “Good ENOUGH TO EAT,” “But, father, if I didn’t we should both have to listen to mother.” Answers to Correspondents Q. T once had a pet elephant, and liked him very much, but after we had played together for some ycars I couldn't get him to do as I wanted, so I left him and went off and played with some bad boys. Now I begin to sce that the elephant’s influence over me is the best one, and I want to go back to him. How can I ap- proach an clephant under these con- ditions? TR. YOU are evidently a smart little * boy, and your best course is to go to the bad little boys with whom you have been consorting, and persuade them to go with you and play with the elephant ; thus you will not only be do- ing the right thing by yourself, but by others. From a Pacifist Contributor UR great country is like a child that say s: “Perhaps there's a bear on the stairs. “DYIDN’T he marry a prohibition- ist?” “T wasn’t quite sure; I knew that something awful had happened to him.” In an ideally constructed world Colonel House would have been in charge of the Ford peace expedition. —New Ev . ” New York, Beaning, Rost, “py—WHEW—JOvE! MADAM, I'LL—WHEW—GET IT YET. N° if the ideal was furnished by “1 BEG YOU NOT TO ATTEMPT IT, SIR. IF ANYTHING WERE TO HAPPEN I'D Colonel House. NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF.” comicbooks.com