Life, 1916-02-10 · page 4 of 44
Life — February 10, 1916 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily **promotional/satirical advertisement** for Life magazine subscriptions, written in mock-biblical language. **The satire:** The text humorously elevates Life magazine to sacred status, using archaic religious phrasing ("Rise ye, therefore, early on Tuesday morning") to encourage subscription. It presents acquiring Life as a moral obligation that will bring happiness and family blessings. **The cartoons:** Two small illustrations appear—one showing a figure reading (labeled "We look for happiness") and another of a fashionably-dressed woman (labeled "Art thou in style?"). These reinforce Life's appeal as a source for both entertainment and fashion guidance. **The joke:** By treating a commercial product with religious reverence, Life mocks both consumer culture and Americans' earnest pursuit of happiness through magazine consumption. The subscription rates are listed at bottom.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHAPTER XXVIII 1. Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward. We look for happiness, yea, even with a magnifying glass, and find it not upon the printed page. 2. Except in occasional num- bers of Life containing material almost cheerful enough to cause a smile. 3. Which behooveth us to re- mark upon the number coming next week, which is nothing much, although we say this with pain. A good general number that, perchance, lieth heavily upon the mind, albeit lighted up with occa- sional gleamsofhumanintelligence. 4. But following that cometh the great American Number, in the which this great nation is held up to much praise. Rise ye, there- fore, early on Tuesday morning, We look for happiness February 22, and, if thou be lucky and in time, purchase a copy of this great patriotic number at the nearest periodical emporium. 5. Thus shall it be said of thee that thou art wise in thy day and generation, and thy children and thy wife shall rise up and bless thee, and thy home shall be ex- ceeding merry for that thou obey- est that impulse. 6. Afterthat cometh other num- bers and especially on March 2 the Fashion Number. Art thou in style? Ask thyself this ques- tion and rejoice over the first-hand information to be contained in this number of Life. 7. Thus shall all thy days be gladsome provided thou hast be- come a regular subscriber. Art thou in style? Yearly Subscribers Get A copy of the handsome premium picture, “Sunset,” size 23 x 16, printed in col- ors and ready for framing. Life’s Subscription Rates Are: Special Trial Offer Three Months, $1 One Year Domestic, $5 Canadian, $5.32 Foreign, $6.04 Canadian, Foreign, $1.26 (Open only Ear hea and har too and to new names) Lire, 17 West 31st Street New York comicbooks.com