Life, 1920-01-08 · page 12 of 44
Life — January 8, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two distinct pieces: **Top image**: A satirical scene showing military officers at a formal dinner. The caption quotes one officer instructing a servant to arrange things so he can wait on himself while his mistress and young ladies are out. The satire targets officers' self-indulgent priorities and perhaps critiques military privilege during wartime. **Bottom image and poem**: Titled "Trials of a Lady from the Sunny South Who Married an Arctic Explorer," it depicts a woman in bed in what appears to be an Arctic setting. The accompanying poem by Breton Braley, titled "Romance," ironically contrasts romantic ideals with domestic reality—suggesting the disappointment of a southern woman transplanted to harsh conditions through marriage to an explorer. Both pieces use humor to satirize social expectations around romance, class, and gender roles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LOOK HERE, PARKER, YOUR MISTRESS AND THE YOUNG LADIES ARE OUT TO-NIGHT. FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE, PUT THINGS WHERE I CAN REACH THEM AND LET ME WAIT ON MYSELF” Romance LL of us dream of it, Seek for the gleam of it, Distant, afar, Pore through each book for it; When, if we'd look for it, Lo, we should find it Right where we are. Delvers and hewers all, Workers and doers all Patiently plod Forging, unknowingly. Visions that glowingly Flame on the anvil Builded of God. View not too jealously Those who dare zealously Earth's broad expanse; You, who must stay at home, Toil, love and play at home, Also are living Lives of Romance! TRIALS OF A LADY FROM THE SUNNY SOUTH WHO MARRIED AN ARCTIC EXPLORER Berton Braley. comicbooks.com