Life, 1917-09-27 · page 28 of 40
Life — September 27, 1917 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"The Last Drink"** (top cartoon): Shows a crowd of figures gathered around what appears to be a military or state ceremony, with skeletal/death imagery suggested. The caption questions making ceremony of "the last drink"—likely referencing Prohibition-era concerns or wartime rationing. **"The Recruit"** (poem, left): A soldier's monologue about enlisting despite initial reluctance. The satire targets working-class men who felt social pressure to fight in WWI, noting how their sacrifice impressed women more than wealth. **"As It Seems" dialogues** (right): Three brief exchanges mocking wealthy women's lack of political power. They discuss a wife's inability to influence her husband's vote and a groom's mercenary hopes—satirizing both women's disenfranchisement and wealthy men's materialism. **"Getting a Penny into the Bank"** (bottom photo): Appears to satirize banking or savings practices, though context is unclear. Overall, the page mixes WWI recruitment sentiment with class commentary and critiques of women's political powerlessness during this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE LAST DRINK WHY NOT MAKE A CEREMONY OF IT? The Recruit RS. HOYLE: She hasn’t much GED MILLIONAIRE: If this it Wavegitl acmademe golen sige political influence. cob outlives me, you shall have She said she “hadn't any use, so, MRS Dovir: I should say not; she her, James! : doesn't control her husband's vote. Groowe: I'll hope for the best, sir! there! For them that didn’t help to fight nor care—" Well, then, I sorta got myself in line, An’ it seemed like an awful coward to whine An’ shirk my bit; so I went whistlin’ | where H The sergeant took my number down for fair, An’ doc said I'd pass muster good an’ fine. Then I went back—an’ my! she was more proud To think o’ me togged out in khaki than If I'd made millions; she jus’ laughed out loud, An’ said she always knew I'd be a man; An’ I keep thinkin’, now I've got my gait, It takes a girl to make a boy see AS IT SEEMS straight. Charlotte Becker, GETTING A PENNY INTO THE BANK comicbooks comm |