Life, 1919-07-10 · page 14 of 50
Life — July 10, 1919 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The single illustration at the bottom of the page shows a woman in heavy winter clothing speaking sternly to a small boy at a beach or seaside. The caption reads: "Now, remember; you must promise not to duck me!" This appears to be a humorous domestic scene playing on the contrast between a protective mother's warning and a child's mischievous nature. The joke likely relies on the double meaning of "duck"—both the act of pushing someone underwater and the bird. The woman's serious demeanor and formal instruction suggest she's attempting to impose adult rules on a child who would naturally want to play in the water. The satire captures the eternal struggle between parental caution and childhood impulse at the seaside.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
To Rear-Admiral HN’, S. Sims, Y DE this letter is to show you that I have such a good memory, You may recall that some weeks (or was it ) ago we had a war, and that you were in it. You may recall that the victory achieved in this war by certain people was due to certain navies, and that one of these navies was commanded by y R ADMIRAL: My only reason in writing you month, ourself. You may recall that upon your return from this war you were hailed with acclamation for several days (or was it hours?), and re- tired upon reduced pay. I happened to remember all this about you. The fact is 1am still somewhat old-fashioned, and love to dwell uron the past. Reminiscently yours, Lire To Mayor John F. Hylan. AR MR. HYL. ure still mayor of I notice by the papers that you w York. I notice also that you have been giving the members of your family good posi- tions, and in some instances have raised their pay. Many people I know are prejudiced against their families: it is therefore a pleasure to learn of any gentleman as broad nd libe as yourself who is ready to stick by his own relations, even at the expense of the public. The only thing that troubles me is that you may not always be the mayor of New York, and in that case what are your relations going to do? If you should get to he governor, or even President of the United States, you can carry them all up with you. But in case, by any relegated to pri po: ibility, you should be ¢ life and have them all on your hands, will you still be able to keep your end up by going to Palm Beach every winter and associating with Mr. Hearst?— which is very expensive, unless you have an understandi with Mr. Hearst beforehand. Interrogatively yours, Lire. To Mr. W. G. McAdoo, EAR SIR: I hear there is a chance of your not becom- ing the next President by being nominated by the Democrats. I congratulate you. There are, as you and I are doubtless aware, many ways of not becoming President of the United States. But I don’t know of any better way than this one. Do you? n-politically yours, Lire. To Commander Albert C. Read of the NC-4. EAR MR. READ: I have come to the conclusion that flying, after all, is not only not so asy as it seems, but that it is largely a matter of temperament. It was your temperament as well as your seaplane that took you across the ocean. You took infinite pains beforehand in guarding against trouble. Will your temperament still stick by you? I hope so. Remember Hobson. He became a hero, and was osculated into obscurity. Heroes are now “L. PE - Some Open Letters more common than they were then: but stick by your tem- perament, Mr. Read. Modesty is not necessary for obscure ple, but you cannot get along without it Planefully yours, pee Lire To Watker Hin ministration, s, Director-General U.S. Railroad Ad- EAR SIR: [understand that you have charge of our railroads under government ownership. { wish, i you lt give you a room in one of my attic upper berths, charge you double price, feed you on just-as-good-as-food, charge you double price, make you pay for every trip I give you in my car, and if you are not on hand I'll charge you anyway. Please bring your family. I'll put you at one end of the house, the rest of them at the other. I'll promise never to let you meet. have any time on your hands, you would pay me a vi Also, I will sprinkle you personally with coal dust while you try to sleep. Slambangfully yours, Lire. To Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Ir. D AR COLONEL ROOSEVELT: I hear that you were offered the permanent chairmanship of the Amer- ican Legion, and refused it because you were frankly com- mitted to a political career, and wanted the Legion to start iair and square as a non-political organization. But is this wise? The Legion is bound to be a political organization, any y. Nothing can stop it. Why not make it the best one and then get busy? w Candic Lire. “ NOW, REMEMBER; YOU MUST PROMISE NOT TO DUCK ME!” comicbooks.com = a