Life, 1919-02-20 · page 8 of 34
Life — February 20, 1919 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct items: **"Incense"** (poem, top left): A brief verse by Mabel Haughton Colbome mocking pretentious behavior—specifically someone claiming to smell "du" (French perfume) while actually experiencing common odors. It's gentle satire of affectation. **"The Uses of Sin"** (essay, left column): A serious piece debating whether Prohibition and moral restrictions were wise policy. A dissenter argues that "Sin" is merely "a relic of barbarism" and questions whether abolishing vices (coffee, tea, tobacco) actually improves morality. **"Highly Important"** (right): Reports that a millionaire paid seventy thousand dollars for sable skins. The article notes this is newsworthy to the *Times* because it demonstrates what the wealthy can afford—satirizing both wealthy excess and newspapers' focus on such trivia. **"Another Heavy Bombardment"** (cartoon, bottom left): Shows a figure buried under papers/documents—likely satirizing bureaucratic overwhelm or excessive correspondence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Incense *M convalescent from the “thu,” And feeling as kings used to de It’s great to find you're still a-pace On. this old carth’s bedridden face That though abait you almost tle: Like Britling, you can sce it throug! “Twould be so sad to die before Our Woodrow settles up the war! Vabel Haughton Collyer. The Uses of Sin \VING established Prohibition and abolished coffee, tea and tohaceo, the guardians of public morals met in convention to plan the mighty, final drive just Sin in general “Sin” as one guardian “isa relic of ha y ing remnant of a bygone era, It should he abolished utterly and inalterably.” “One moment.” interrupted the Dis- senter. “Let ous be too hasty Think what such a radical step means Splendid churches lying idle: clergy- of jobs, their families com- arving instead of I T ANOTHER HEAVY BOMBARDMENT i fs AS Lab), Oe a iS “o Highly Important coin Paris has been more « we fearn that one of not becn idle. The New Vork Times ¢ ortant information that Mes, William E. Core ermerly Mabel Gilman, actress, has had made for her rem carefully on 1 r which the world wi arched for many months.” Seventy-five thousand dollars scems a respectable s m. But this deyends somewhat up f'view. Ieisnot the point of view of Bolshevi ven of the middle classes. Apparently the Times think vut this coat is important information for tl: American public, because the Tincs is strong on “all th news that's fit to print.” T is often casy to predict that a youth will grow up to be a great man; but it is hard to tell whether he'll be a good or a bad one. Ccomicbooks.com