Life, 1917-09-13 · page 39 of 44
Life — September 13, 1917 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a serialized domestic comedy narrative (left column) about a marital dispute over neighbors' possessions, followed by a railroad advertisement and fish-product ads (right side). **The Narrative's Point:** The story satirizes suburban neighbor rivalry and one-upmanship—a common post-WWI American social anxiety. The protagonist's wife Petrucia aggressively confronts their neighbor over who acquired household items first (an umbrella tree, hat, dressmaker access, porch door). The husband attempts peacekeeping through embarrassed silence, but the neighbor ultimately "surrenders," admitting the dispute was a bluff except for the umbrella tree. **The Satire:** The piece mocks status-conscious materialism and competitive domesticity among the middle class, while also gently ridiculing masculine conflict-avoidance when wives assert dominance. The "bridging" theme—shown in the mountain locomotive illustration—metaphorically connects to resolving social divides. The surrounding advertisements (fish products, railroad travel) represent the commercial conveniences defining modern American leisure and consumption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Stop!” said Petrucia, eyes flaming; “and you dared to let him!" She was magnificent. She sprang up. “Tl make him take it back!" she ex- claimed. “Don't!” I begged, in an agony of remorse. “Remember, dear, never have trouble with your neighbors. Suffer in silence. Consider the future. Oh—” “Come!” she commanded imperiously, “he’s sitting on the porch now!” She dragged me along, a trembling, wretched creature. “ Thank God! at any rate he’s alone,” I whispered to myself. He got up with a smile. Petrucia opened up with all her bow guns at once. “What do you mean,” she exclaimed, “by saying we got that umbrella tree after you got yours? And the hat and the dressmaker and the porch door? You got ‘em all from us.” I tried to wink at my next-door neigh- bor surreptitiously, just to let him know in a flash, as it were, that Petrucia was really all right, that he mustn't: mind, that the bond between us was good as 439 Salt Mackerel CODFISH, FRESH LOBSTER FOR THE. CONSUMER FOR YOUR OWN TABLE FAMILIES who are fond of FISH can be supnlied DIRECT from GLOUCESTER, MASS., by the FRANK E. DAVIS COMPANY, with newly caught, REEPABLE OCEAN FISH, choicer than any inland dealer could possibly furnish. We sell ONLY TO THE CONSUMER DIRECT, sending by EXPRESS RIGHT TO YOUR HOME. We PREPAY on all orders east of Kai ‘Our fish are pure, appe- and we want YOU to try some, pay: pproval. SALT MACKEREL, fat, meaty. 'y fish, are dell for breakfast. They are freshly packed in brine and wi spoil on your hands CODFISH, as we salt instant use. "It makes meat, at a much lower c FRESH LOBSTER is the best thing known for salads. Right fresh from the water, our lobsters simply are boiled and packed in PARCHMENT-LINED CANS. They come to you a8 the purest and safest lobsters you can buy and the mea crisp and natural as if you took it from the shell yourself. FRIED CLAMS is a relishable, hearty dish, that your whole family will enjoy. No other flavor is just like that of clams, whether fried or in a chowder. FRESH MACKEREL, pertect for frying, SHRIMP. to cream on toast, CRABMEAT for Newbur¢ or deviled, SAL- MON ready to serve, SARDINES of all kinds, TUNNY for salad, SANDWICH FILLINGS and every good thing packed here ‘or abroad you can get direct from us and keep right on your pantry shelf for regular or emergency use. With every order we send BOOK OF RECIPES for preparingallour products. I ’rite for it. Our list tells how each kind of fish isputup,with "Frank E. the delivered price, so youcanchoose Davis Co. just what you will enjoy most. 240 Central Whart Send the coupon for it now Gloecester; Masa, FRANKE.DAVISCO. _--~_ Please send me your latest 240 Central What ‘Fish Price List. Gloucester, ane. Name te, boneless and ready for tial meal, a fine change from Street PANNING a decade the “‘St. Paul Road’? has wrested from tomorrow the comforts and conveniences of electric travel and made them the heritage of today. Giant electric locomotives, the mightiest in the ever, ete. etc. but—well, T didn't dare. Then suddenly my next-door neighbor did the unexpected. He surrendered to Petrucia. His flag came down. “ Of course, you're right,” he said. “It was only a bluff on my part—all except the umbrella tree. I reaily thought we world, impelled by the forces of the mountains themselves, haul the heavy steel trains of this railway across the Great Continental Divide—440 miles through the Belt, Rocky and Bitter Root Mountains— with ease. xot that first. But you see, Adele No smoke—no jars—no cinders—just smooth, ires you so—" he looked delightfully even, almost silent travel through the glories of the \ : at Petrue’ because you have such mountains. + bs splendid taste, and—well, I criticized her So successful has been the operation of these electrified moun- for doing it, and she said I was horrid, tain divisions that work is well under way for the electrification and I promised to stand by her, and this of 211 additional miles through the snow-capped Cascades in is jist Between ue” Washington, Petrucia grabbed his hand, The tears ‘The future has indeed been made to serve the almost filled her eyes. Present * “You splendid person!” she cried. “I When you journey to Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and other Pacific Northwest cities travel the electric way — the CHICAGO Milwaukee & St. Paul RAILWAY Send for electrification and western travel literature — address F. A. MILLER, Passenger Traffic Manager CHICAGO only wish sometimes my husband would stand by me. I'm so sorry, and of course simply delighted to have you use any idea 1 have—and you did get the um- brella tree firs When we got home she said: “Do you know, I believe it was their rpenter who told me about the door, but it would never do to xive in. Then I did a wise thing. I kept silent about the secret wink which my next- door neighbor had given me just at the moment when he was pulling down his flag. comicbooks.com