Life, 1918-12-05 · page 13 of 76
Life — December 5, 1918 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a stark contrast between holiday idealism and wartime reality. The top illustration shows a cozy domestic Christmas bed scene with the caption "Merry Christmas! Good Morning!"—a cheerful domestic fantasy. Below, a poem by Arthur Guiterman acknowledges slighter fare and fewer guests, referencing holding Christmas "in France"—indicating soldiers abroad during World War I (which ended November 1918). The main cartoon depicts a grim reality: a truck loaded with fallen soldiers drives past, while Santa Claus waves from above. The caption reads "SHOP EARLIER THAN EVER, SO THAT THIS MESSENGER MAY BE ON TIME"—darkly suggesting Santa must hurry to deliver gifts before soldiers die. The satire critiques the disconnect between commercial Christmas cheerfulness and the actual cost of war—casualties still arriving home in 1918.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Merry Christmas! Good Morning?* Christmas, 1918 & slighter fare vur tables here afford, Me shall be host to Nations!—all tho strife And fefwer guests our homely joys eulzmee, For deathless right, the greatest and the lexst Mhere millions press tve spread a grander board; Who gise their best that Freedom shall survive. This year for hold our Christmas feast in France. This year fue hold x nobler Christmas feast. Arthur Guiterman. y SHOP EARLIER THAN EVER, SO THAT THIS MESSENGER MAY DE ON TIME