Life, 1917-11-08 · page 39 of 40
Life — November 8, 1917 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines satirical commentary on gender roles with period advertising. **"A Capital Story" (alphabetical poem):** This satirizes the women's suffrage movement through the story of Ida, a woman activist whose husband Abram has become miserable. The poem, arranged alphabetically from A-Z, depicts Ida as neglecting domestic duties (cooking, housework) to campaign for voting rights, leaving Abram to handle childcare and household tasks. He's portrayed as increasingly angry and resentful. The concluding lines hope her "fool career" has ended. This reflects anti-suffrage sentiment common in the 1920s, mocking women's political engagement as destructive to traditional marriage and family. **"Marriage and Talk":** A brief essay arguing that long marriages naturally become quieter as couples achieve understanding—framing constant conversation as a sign of marital discord. **Lower section:** Contains ads for the Biltmore hotel/theaters and Elgin watches, plus "A Flaw in the Economy Program"—satire criticizing government waste (excessive printing) while citizens practice thrift. The page reflects 1920s social tensions over women's roles and government efficiency concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ae A Capital Story J Abram married Ida More. P Bming was his smile before. yy ff C Crious his visage now OC l (a { & / Dply lined with care his brow. A \ — Eger friends, with brimming cup, ae , Floris inake to cheer bin up. — another beautlifial Gnial he used to be. Heerful man no longer he. Ha is a suffragette. Jded Abe minds kid quartette. Kpably—ne'er Ida doubts— Loquence for votes she spouts. Mbracing every chance, she likes Nergy to waste on hikes. Openly, upon the w: Pple scoff, to her dismay Qlinary work is Abe's, Rduous as ‘tending babes, Specially as he must do Tuious work enough for two. Usually mild, oh, how Vhement his language now! Wwould see, the rage Xpressed each day, with naught t'as- suage. Yiey's reached, we hope, the drear Znith of her fool career. Fanny Byrne. Marriage and Talk ie only when people are different that they have a great deal to When they are alike they are satisfied just to be in each other’s company. As married folk gradually exchange ideas and reconcile their differences their | conversation is apt to give way to a contented and sparing use of verbal shorthand. A marriage of long stand- ing that is still noisy with constant talk is not one to be envied. It argues an irrepressible conflict. InSolid Gold ** has brought the Elgin Company into the lime- light as designers of complete watches, Lord Elgin, the third of the series, is one of the finest and most distinguished of the Streamline models. Tt is extra thin. The “close up” view at the left shows some- AT kind of a +i a” HAT kind of a dog is that? The $75 Streamline is ‘ e up ; “Pure thoroughbred, — Intellec- complete in, Solid Gold what of its distinctive personality —every inch a i casea ba eisacs tual, unpedigreed prize mongrel.” presentation box. The gentleman's timepiece. Lord Bigin medelextra Your Jeweler will enjoy showing you this new = = thin, with 19 Jewels and $75 Streamline, as well as the $25 and $50 Stream- jE eta a ot Adjustments # * # fe . i The same watch in 14 lines previously announced —also Elgin Bracelet (ttt ol . com: , plete ot $55 we 2s ~~ Watches for women. _ I lustrated folders on request. | ELGIN NATIONAL WATCH CO., ELGIN, U.S.A Designers and Producers 5: Ge BI LTM oO R E A Flaw in the Economy Program T government industriously preaches thrift and economy; and the people practice it. : Where the social life realizing that there is need for what the government preaches. It is a pity that the of New York centers government won't realize it too, and put the screws on the large and useless output of | ea by day and evening the Government Printing Office. There may be people who are interested in reading the dreary speeches of half-baked congressmen, the pucrile monographs, the unfathomable sectional re- Ae CLOSE Lam TO ALL THEATRES | ports and the tiresome bulletins that emerge ceaselessly from the maw of the government AND SHOPS Presses, but they aren't visible to the naked eye. So far as can be discovered, the products of the Government Printing Office only help to destroy our forests, waste the time of countless postal clerks, raise our taxes and weary those who receive them, Many people would practice i thrift and economy with a better 4 if they felt sure that the government wasn't wasting i what they saved. PETER J, CAREY, PRINTER XUM comicbooks.com