Life, 1918-09-19 · page 7 of 34
Life — September 19, 1918 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a farmyard scene where a woman tells a man: "Mother, now that we're goin' to sell our chickens, this'll be a dandy place to keep the prisoners father brings home." This appears to be **wartime satire**, likely from WWI era based on the reference to prisoners. The joke works on multiple levels: it satirizes both the practicality of rural Americans (repurposing chicken coops for prisoners) and, more pointedly, critiques someone called "father" who is apparently profiting from or collecting prisoners during wartime—suggesting war profiteering or dubious military dealings. The page also contains a poem titled "A Basement Love Song" and a "Horticultural" section discussing plant cultivation, suggesting this is a complete Life magazine page mixing humor, poetry, and practical household content typical of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
9 NX 3o~ “ MOTHER, NOW THAT WE'RE GOIN’ TO SELL OUR CHICKENS, THIS'LL BE A DANDY PLACE TO KEEP A Basement Love Song LOVE of mine, some months ago (Emotion my speech hinders) Our passion lost its ruddy glow And flickered out in cinders. And yet, old dear, that winter through (Before our paths divided) Did any other care for you As ardently as I did? But now resumes love's festival, Rekindling ancient embers— And all the former fever shall Revivify your members. THE PRISONERS PATHER BRINGS HOME” Again I'll woo you, and deem You worthy of your w And, as a gage of my esteem, Keep steam up in your gauges. When bitter blasts howl! wintrily T'll hug you close. My love'll Be large with chestnut, egg and pea, And buss you with a shovel! I'll pray, to keep you warm, old dear, For Mr. Garfield's graces: The furnace, for six months a year, Is still the ace of aces. Christopher Morley. Horticultural THis. years planting for future Presidents shows great promise ng immortelles were planted J are sure of universal recog- nition. Schwab forget-me-nots are quite hardy, and growing ra Leonard Wood trailers, near Plattsburg, are covering much ground and adapted to all American climates. Roosevelt trailers are hardy. McAdoo climbers are shooting up everywhere, and unless trimmed will overrun the whole structure. comicbooks.com