Life, 1917-12-06 · page 87 of 92
Life — December 6, 1917 — page 87: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a short story conclusion rather than a political cartoon. "The Hypocrites" depicts two elderly men—a doctor and a minister—in honest conversation about their lives of compromise and deception. The satire targets religious and medical hypocrisy: both men admit they taught beliefs they didn't hold and prescribed remedies they didn't trust, yet ask themselves if their lives were worthwhile despite this moral failure. The story's dark humor lies in their conclusion that they are "unrepentant old liars"—they would make the same choices again. The "Society Notes" section below uses similar satire, listing prominent figures like the Russian Tsar and German Kaiser during wartime with deadpan observations about their cancelled holiday plans, mocking the absurdity of royalty's suffering during WWI. The Eno's Fruit Salt advertisement is period commercial copy, unrelated to the editorial content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Hypocrites (Continued from page 981) faith has become myth and superstition tome. Your God is an injustice. Your heaven an absurdity” I could not. It is a terrible thing to shatter human be- liefs.” “Or illusions?” “Tilusions, delusions, dreams—no matter. It still remains a terrible thing to destroy them, Though forced to sit in darkness, I was unwilling to put out others’ light. Besides, they might be right, I wrong. Who knows? ; So I pretended. But I lied no more than I had to, At least I could teach right and wrong, duty, love, courage and sacrifice. For the rest. . . I could keep silent.” The Doctor reached to the littered table for matches, “Lies! Bread pills!’ We're a pretty pair. Deceivers, both of us. We've taught what we didn’t believe, and be- lieved what we didn’t teach. I can do nothing for my body. You can do noth- ing for your soul. The physicians can- not save themselves. “In the last analy- sis we seem to be nothing but—well, nothing but just two good old liars.” “Tam afraid that is true. Just two old liars.” The sad old eyes met in a smile. “But after all, Arthur, I wonder—” “Yes, James?” “Life hasn't been easy. We've been tired and discouraged. We've gone when we wanted to stay at home. We've lied when we preferred to tell the truth, We've worn out our bodies and perjured our souls, Now we are old and lonely. We are without faith or anchor, Stil—” “Well?” “If you had it to do over—your life would you do otherwise?” The Minister reflected. “I do not see that’I could do otherwise.” “And you think it has been worth while? “It seems soto me. . . think it has been worth while.” The Doctor lit his pipe and puffed Yes, I es ES oT m Tee ee “FRUIT SALT” (Derivative Compound) A Pleasant Aperient The need of a safe and efficacious corrective and laxative is efficiently met by Eno’s “Fruit Salt.” A tonic aperient with active remedial properties, highly beneficial to the digestion, in stimulating the organs of elimi- nation. It promptly corrects stom- ach ailments, biliousness, and constipation, A teaspoonful in a glass of water make a sparkling and refreshing draught. So agreeable to the taste that children are eager for it. Eno’s “Fruit Salt” has been a favorite household remedy for over 35 years. It is gentle in action and positive in results. Again in good supply in this country, and now may be readily obtained everywhere. Sold by Druggists Prepared only by J. C. ENO, Ltd., London, S. E., England Agents for the Continent of America: Harold F, Ritchie & Co., Ltd., 10, 12 and 14 and extremely useful McCaul St., Toronto, Can. comfortably. “So then’ we are not only two old liars, but—worse still— we are—” “What, James?” “Worse still, we are two unrepent- ant old liars.” “Tam afraid so. It would really scem so. Two unrepentant old liars.” And through the smoke the sad old eyes met once more in a smile. Irene Brown Jenkins, Society Notes AND MRS. NICHOLAS RO- MANOFF, of Tobolsk, Siberia, do not expect to take a southern trip this winter, owing to family troubles brought on by the war. William Hohenzollern, of Berlin and Potsdam, will not eat his Christmas dinner in Paris this year. His plans are unsettled because of a diversity of business interests, ~ comicbooks.com