Life, 1917-12-06 · page 55 of 92
Life — December 6, 1917 — page 55: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical pieces about wartime gift-giving during World War I (referenced by "soldiers in France"). **Top cartoon:** "The Willowbys' Ward" depicts a fancy dress ball where the hosts realize their hired troubadours (traveling musicians) rarely wear beards—apparently essential to their costume authenticity. It's a simple visual gag about theatrical performance expectations. **Bottom section:** "Just the Thing" is a poem mocking the difficulty of gift-giving during wartime rationing. A suitor struggles to find an appropriate present for his sweetheart, as she's renounced luxuries like orchids, roses, late suppers, and new music—all to conserve resources for the war effort. His solution: a Liberty Bond (a government war loan). The satire targets the tension between romance and patriotic self-sacrifice, suggesting wartime austerity has made even courtship obligatory and joyless. The accompanying drum illustration reinforces the patriotic, militaristic tone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Christmas THE WILLOWBYS' WARD. 28 ON THE NIGHT OF THE FANCY DRESS BALL THE WILLOWBYS SUDDENLY REALIZE THE TROUBADOURS SELDOM WORF. BEARDS Just the Thing HAVE found out a gift for my fair— A matter quite difficult now, Since orchids she’s vowed to forswear And roses she will not allow; Late suppers no longer she'll taste; She looks at my kane And says we must minimize waste For the sake of the soldiers in France, andy | New music I'd send by the ream, | Best sellers should never escape her ; But I know my devotion she'd deer | A non-conservation of paper! the prevailing uplift atriotic and fond; ault with my gift, For I've bought her a Liberty Bond. So I've joine With a zeal She annot find FOk THE FELLOW WHO SENT YOUK BOY A DRUM | comicbooks.com