Life — February 12, 1920 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features "The Gate of Happiness," an illustration showing an ornate gate covered in ivy, with a figure approaching it. The accompanying joke presents a brief comedic dialogue between a Reporter and a Coroner about a family that "starved to death" because they "ordered army food to be delivered by mail." The satire appears to mock U.S. Army food service and mail delivery inefficiency—likely referencing WWI-era logistics. The joke's dark humor suggests either that Army rations were inedible or that mail delivery was so slow the food never arrived in time. The page header lists character types ("Love," "Ingratitude," "Fun," "Foolishness," etc.), suggesting this was part of a larger satirical feature about human nature and social follies typical of *Life* magazine's humor style from the early 20th century.