Life, 1919-08-14 · page 32 of 44
Life — August 14, 1919 — page 32: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three brief satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine humor: **"Good Beginning"**: A joke about a boy playing doctor who demands payment ("three cents") before treating patients—satirizing mercenary medical practice. **"Doesn't Bring Happiness"**: An Uncle Remus-style dialect piece mocking vanity: a man buys shoes he's too proud to wear, preferring to go barefoot rather than admit they hurt. **"Making It Easy for Himself"**: A racial stereotype humor piece depicting a Black worker driving a nail at a specific angle to avoid fetching a ladder repeatedly—playing on lazy-worker tropes common in the era. The page also includes a portrait cartoon of an elderly gentleman and automobile advertisement. The humor reflects period attitudes: cynicism about professional ethics, rural/folk wisdom about materialism, and unfortunately, racist caricature presented as comedy. Modern readers should recognize these as products of their time, not timeless humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Good Beginning Visto: What makes you think that William will grow up to be a great doc- tor? Foxp Moritex: While playing doctor with his little playmates, he said: “ Gen- tlemen, before we begin to operate, you hold the patient's hands and feet. I'll get the three cents out of this right- hand pocket.""—Detroit News. Doesn't Bring Happiness Wealth don’t bring happiness,” said Uncle Eben. “ Zeb Cotton saved up fo" dollars an’ bought hisse’f a pa’r o° shoes. De shoes pinches his feet, an’ now he's too proud to go bar’-footed.” = Washington Stor; Union wage demands are met but never settled —Wall Street Journal. Live: is published every Thursday, simulta Canada and British Possessions. tle registered in U in advance. Additional postage to foreign countries in the to Canad: cents. Single current copies, 10 ¢ from date of publication, 25 cents. Issues prior to 1910 out of print For Repri re, Breams Buildings, Fetter Lane, The text and illustrations in Live are copyrighted, opply to Lire, Rolls Ho Lond Making It Easy for Himself Mrs. Killifer desire be hung to the right Killifer wanted it hun once the husband prov, insistent of the two colored man, was sump picture according to M Henry drove in This done, he also dro. on the right “Why are you driving that se nail?” asked Mr. Killii “Why, boss, dat’s to save me det ble of bringin’ de ladde you come round to dc thinkin’,” said Henry.—//arper’s, A0rrow whe: Plenty of Questions “My wife is mour the loss of a ten-thousand-dollar diamond necklace” Why don’t you advertise a thoosel reward and no questions asked?” “Well, [ could make good on the the sand, but I doubt my wife's abil fulfill the rest of that contract.” PORTRAIT OF AN OLD GENTLEMAN —Louisville Courier-Journal, y in the United States, Great Britain, Live is for sale by all newsdealers in Great Britain and may be S. Patent Office y sellers in all the principal cities in the world, The. foreign trade sm Live's London Office, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Le pers, after three months 2 cont > i " accompa p re a inreny hold itself responsible for the loss or nome Rights in Great Britain f address should reach this office ten days prior SPECIAL LOCOMOBILE SED An Unusually Fine Example of the Aristocratic Motor Car. The Locomobile Company of America, Bridgeport, Co comicbooks.