Life, 1920-04-01 · page 52 of 60
Life — April 1, 1920 — page 52: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a short story titled "No Compensation," featuring Mr. Berwind, a Wall Street businessman. The narrative satirizes upper-class leisure and family dynamics in the early 20th century. The setup is ironic: Berwind anticipates a rare family evening together while his wife returns from Palm Beach. He enthusiastically proposes improving family life through cultured activities—card games, then reading Emerson's essay on "Compensation." The humor builds as Berwind falls asleep during Emerson's philosophical meditation on life's rewards and balance. The final joke arrives via telegram: the wife's train is stalled; she won't return until tomorrow. The family's planned evening of intellectual and emotional enrichment is cancelled. The title "No Compensation" mocks Emerson's philosophy—there's no reward for Berwind's virtuous efforts at family togetherness. The satire targets genteel pretensions, suggesting that even well-intentioned middle-class attempts at meaningful domestic life are disrupted by modern inconveniences (railroad delays) and that philosophical ideals don't compensate for life's practical frustrations.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NERVICE, cuisine and accomodations must be unusually excel- lent to attract the sort of people who patronize THE HOLLENDEN RATES ‘Wek Bark Single «.. 1s. = Sass Ss Double’ | | $400 to $00 Twin Beds. $5.00 to $7.00 For an Easter Gift a Subscription to ° ife Easter giving is a pretty cus- tom and one rarely carried to extremes. A subscription to Lire will give pleasure to the entire family. Try it for six months, or, Obey That Impulse, and for a trial trip, avail yourself of our Special Offer Enclosed find One Dollar (Canadian $1.13, Foreign $1.26), Send Lire for three months to Open only to new subscribers; no subscriptions renewed at this rate. LIFE, 17 West 31st Street, New York. One Year $5 Canadian $3.52 Foreign $6.04 10 PETER J. CAREY, PRINTER No Compensation Rk. BERWIND came home from Wall Street i M rather a cheerful mood. His wife was retum. ing from Palm Beach, and it would seem good to see her again. These absences, reflected Ber- wind, as-he came down to dinner, helped quite a lot He would have gone to the station to meet her—Charlic, his son, had, indeed, suggested it—but Mrs. Berwind had par- ticularly requested them not to bother. She would take a taxi, and hoped to get home before ten o'clock. Charlie, the eldest son, and Freda, the handsome daugh- ter, were both on hand for dinner, in anticipation of their mother's homecoming. “By Jove!” said Berwind. “We don’t very often get together like this, do we? Oh, well, this is a strenuous world.” He chatted with his son amiably about politics during dinner, and with his daughter about certain con- certs and other things with which she was more or less familiar. After dinner they sat in the living-room while Thomas, the butler, brought in the coffee. Berwind was in a fine mood. “T suppose your mother may be here any moment now,” he said. he may get in ahead of time, you know. Me while, we might do something. I remember when | was a boy, during the long winter evenings in New En we used to read aloud or tell stories. Know any stories Charlie?” Charlie, who was on his fourth cigarette, shook his head “ Nothing that’s fit to tell, father,” he said. “ We might pl rubber of three-handed whist.” he cards were obtained, and they started. Berwind frankly confessed, at the end of the first round, that he didn’t like it. “Look here, Freda,” he said, “ you're literary. Why not go back to the old days and read something? I don’t mean anything trashy, but something really worth while.” “How about the Lamentations of Jeremiah?” said Charlie. “The trouble with all of us,” said Berwind, “is that we have no moments of tranquillity. We ought to. It would pay us to do it. Get out a book, Freda, and let’s try it.” “How about Emerson?” said Freda. “1 haver him for a long time, but he is certainly good.” “The very thing. A good American. As I rem him, something of a philosopher. And he came fror England. Good.” Freda read from Emerson. Charlie was on his tenth cigarette. Berwind had started a fresh cigar, but about |iliway through the essay on Compensation his jaw fell, Charlie nudged Freda. “He's off,” he whispered. “Let up on that stu you? At this moment Thomas came in, with a telegra tray. “What's this?" said Berwind, waking up. He read: “Train stalled. Don’t expect me until to-morrow. S There was a long, silent moment, almost painfu intensity. Finally Charlie spoke. “Well, folks,” he said, “one can’t blame mother for our horrible railroad system. But I must say it’s pretty tough to have a whole evening wasted in this way.’ HIS has been leap year in New York, if nowhere else About all the benighted Hylaners have done has bee? to leap from curb te curb. comicbooks.com