Life, 1919-09-25 · page 28 of 40
Life — September 25, 1919 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"Ballade of the Veteran"** is a poem about romantic disappointment. The speaker repeatedly vows not to love again "this year" after being rejected by successive women (Janet, Mabel, Ninette), each departure bringing new infatuation. The satire mocks male romantic fickleness and the cycle of rejection and rebound. **"An Open Letter to the Prince of Wales"** welcomes a royal visitor while sarcastically listing American "attractions" he'll be spared: lynchings, Cabinet meetings, gunman hold-ups, and Congressional proceedings. The joke targets American violence, political dysfunction, and social disorder as national embarrassments. It concludes by noting "real people" exist but are too busy paying taxes. **"What Goeth On at Present"** shows three cartoon vignettes addressing contemporary concerns: "More!" depicts inflation/scarcity, "The Thinker" suggests existential worry, and "The Farmer: I should worry" references agricultural distress—likely Depression-era anxieties about economic hardship affecting different social classes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
"LIF & ° Ballade of the Veteran N T no more “at home” to me; my heart Tires of the pleasure of Might, and Morn, and May. Music falls empty, for it has no part In lives which are no longer fair and gay. At every turn the idle winds convey In accents that are bitter-sad to hear: “Love flies again; all charms deca: I think I shall not love again this year. When Janet sent me off with all the smart Rejected love must take as its sole pay, I found no pleasure in the busy mart Nor joy in hills, nor peace by stream or bay; Gloom at its blackest held unending sway Until 1 saw slim Mabel drawing near. Yet then I vowed, as I have vowed to-d “T think [ shall not love again—this year. But Mabel, having hitched her hopeful cart To some bright star (a film-star, by the way), Scorned my deficiencies in higher Art, Disntissed me, and T could not but obey. Then came Ninette, quick fled my deep dismay ; The hidden sun broke forth again to cheer, Yet said I, as I armed me for new fray: “think T shall not love again this year.” Envoy Ladies, why do you seek to wrack this clay With passions, but to bid them disappear? Is it because you like to hear me say. “T think [ shall not love again—this yeur i. A, Coutes. An Open Letter To the Prince of Wales Y DEAR PRINCE which we do right heartily, it is perhaps just as well to point out to you that of accessity you will be forced In welcoming you to our shores, to miss many of the attractions we have to offer. It is not probable that you will be invited to attend a Southern lynching bee, a meeting of the Cabinet, or to he witness to a gunman’s hold-up in any one of our principal cities “GRACIOUS! IT WOULD TAKE QUITE A WHILE TO CHEW ALL THOSE” You will not be put up at our LW. W proceedings of the Anti-Saloon League, or have read aloud to you the last number of the Congressional Record. On the other hand. tunity to go to some of our moving-picture shows, to wi will undoubtedly have the opper- our most popular newspapers, and to come into. person contact with our four hundred. Do not, however, we beg. permit this to prejudice 1 against us. Remember that there are some real people here, although you may not see them. They are too busy just now trying to pay taxes and make both ends meet. Hastily yours, What Goeth On at Present “ more!" THE THINKER The Farmer: 1 sHoutv worry comicbooks.comly