Life, 1917-06-21 · page 33 of 38
Life — June 21, 1917 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a short satirical story by Carolyn Wells mocking American attitudes toward money and security. A wealthy uncle tests four nephews by giving each $100 to hide for a year in New York City, with the finder inheriting his fortune. The satire targets contemporary anxieties: the first nephew loses his money to thieves despite using bank vaults; the second is betrayed by an untrustworthy friend; the third's money is destroyed by mice. The fourth nephew—who simply hides his bill in a **hotel Bible**—succeeds perfectly. The joke satirizes both American paranoia about financial security and ironic trust in religion as the safest "vault." It also subtly mocks the era's obsession with clever schemes: sometimes the simplest solution wins. The story exemplifies Life magazine's practice of using brief, witty parables to critique contemporary society.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
to marry the wed- son, idders is But old man is ssed my A Fairy Tale NCE upon a time there lived an elderly millionaire who had four neghews. Desiring to make one of these his heir, he tested their clever- ess. He gave to each a one-hundred-dol- hr bill, with the request that they hide the bills for a year in the city of New York: Any of them who should succeed in finding the hidden bill at the end of the year should share in the inheritance. “The year being over, the four neph- ews brought their reports, The first, deeply chagrined, told how he had put his bill in the strongest god surest safety deposit vaults, but, ahs, clever thieves had broken in and stolen it. The second had put his bill in charge of a tried and true friend. But the friend had proved untrustworthy and tad spent the money, The third had hidden his bill in a crevice in the floor of his room, but a mouse had nibbled it to bits to build her nest, The fourth nephew calmly produced his hundred-dollar Dill, as crisp and fresh as when it had been given him. “And where did you hide it?” asked his uncle. “Too casy! I stuck it in a hotel Bible.” Carolyn Wells. More Invasion As enterprising Yankee came over to Ergland and decided to open a shop in Birmingham. He obtained premises next Summer Styles beach or pier, the sleeveless bathing ume—at danee or dinner, the decol- Ewith shoulder straps or lacey quarter eves — both ggest the of using Evans’s Depilatory This powder frees the atenporarily from super- t—and does it There is no to remove hair for complete, convenient outfit for application. back if you want it, with- question. At drug- or de- pment-stores—or send us soc your dealer’s name and ad- TIFFANY & Co, AN UNEQUALLED STOCK OF JEWELRY WATCHES SILVER CHINA AND STATIONERY FIFTH AVENUE & 372 STREET New YorK door to a man who also kept a shop of the same description, but was not very pushing in his business methods, pre- ferring to jog along in the old conscrva- tive way. The methods of the Yankee, however, caused the older trader to wa up, and with the spirit of originality strong upon him, he affixed a notice over his shop with the words, “ Established fifty years,” painted in large letters. Next day the Yankee replied to this with a notice over his store to the fol- lowing effect, “Established yesterday. No old stock."—Tit-Bits. “UZ HEN the enterprising burglar isn’t burgling, He loves to lie a-basking in the sun," reading the copy of Lire which, being enterprising, he has ordered in advance from his newsdealer. ORE 43rd and 44th Sts. and Madison Ave. The Centre of Social Life of the Metropolis Close to theatres and shops. The Cascades, Italian sunken gardens. Special features. Afternoon tea + Orchestra Dancing Conn! iclbooks .com