Life, 1919-08-28 · page 34 of 40
Life — August 28, 1919 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This brief comic anecdote mocks the pretensions of teaching "polish" (refinement) to working-class children. A mother instructs her daughter "Frances" to descend the stairs "like a lady" quietly rather than noisily. When Frances returns having slid down the bannister instead—producing maximum noise—she sarcastically explains she was following instructions to come down "like a lady the second time," referencing the second verse of a children's rhyme about sliding down banisters. The joke targets both the mother's ineffective gentility lessons and the child's deliberately obtuse literalism. It reflects period anxiety about social mobility and whether manners could truly be "acquired" by the working classes, or whether such refinement was inherent rather than teachable. The page itself is primarily advertisements (Egyptian Deities cigarettes, Bell-Ans indigestion remedy, optometrists' association, etc.), with this humor piece as filler content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Acquiring Polish “Frances.” said the | parlor. that you could be se Now go hack and come do: ts like a lady Frances retired and after a few ments re-entered the parlor. you hear me come downstairs when the first tim ch noise The last time | slid down the ters,” explained Franc —Philadelphia B. Time and Tide Wait for No Man Conserve your eyesight now, to- day, before the tide oftimesweeps away the strength of youth, Once goneitcannotboreturned. Have regular eyesight examinations, There is an Optometrist in your locality who is a member of this association, Youcandependon his scientific counsel. Ifhe tells you that you need glasses you should put them on immediately. Write for free booklet “The Conservation of Eyesight’* Associated Optometrists and Opticians of America, Inc. Home Officer Richmond, Va. 19-©.19 Gs EGYPTIA DEITIES 8 The Utmost in Cigarettes Plain End or Cork Tip People of culture and refinement invariably PREFER “Deities to any. other cigarette 30% Mother to the Woman “De little girl," said Uncle Eben, takin’ her dolly and dishes n't play, grows up to dat says unless she’s de ain’ gineter be no meet In a Pinch, use ALLEN’S FOOT-EASE. Epxa: So you've broken with Jack Epitu: Yes, he was entirely too hard BELL-AN FOR INDIGESTIO! must have TRAVELERS? Tit NATIONAL TRAVELER OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE National Council of Traveling Salesmen’ Associations Reaches thousands of the most svt: cessful travelers in the United States Advertising Rates on Application PUBLISHED MONTHLY Subscription Price U. S., $1.00; Canada, $1.50; Foreign, $259 THE LITTLEHALE PUBLISHING C0. 373 FOURTH AVENUE —_NEW YORK “ALL RIGHT, THEN! STOP CRYIN’, JrMatte AN’ LL HW! KIND LADY WILL SHE ROLL DOWN THE HILL FER YUM.” comicbooks.com{,