Life, 1920-04-29 · page 35 of 40
Life — April 29, 1920 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical story and advertisements reflecting early-20th-century class attitudes. **"The Message" Story:** A wealthy, aristocratic man refuses to let his servant Annie McGrath answer the telephone, maintaining strict servant-master hierarchy. A caller then tells him Annie is a "blamed fool" for working somewhere that won't permit her phone use. The satire mocks the master's outdated, rigid class consciousness—his insistence on formal deference actually undermines his own dignity and exposes the absurdity of such rigid social rules. **Other Content:** - Police dog kennels advertisement (Palisade Kennels, Long Island) - Full-page Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen advertisement emphasizing reliability and "automatic" writing - Bellans indigestion remedy ad - "Watch Your Tongue" joke about a departing minister The humor relies on contemporary readers understanding servant-employer dynamics and class distinctions that would be unfamiliar to modern audiences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALISADE 8 KENNELS POLICE DOGS One does not buy a dog every day—that’s whyone should care- fly consider the dog one buys. Merrick Road Long Island Box 90 © PLAYER NEVEX BOTHERS TO \kRY A TIRE PUMP The Message HE was very gentle and very much of an tocrat. He belonged to the old s I. Servants were servants, to be treated very kindly, very hu- manely—lut they must be servants. The telephone rang one day. “Is Miss Annie McGrath there?” came m the other end of the wire. McGrath works here,” wered. “I'd like to speak to her,” the voice said. “I'm sorry,” he answered, “but we not allow the servants to answer the Hot water, Sure Relief = INDIGESTION is ready to write instantly, whenever and wherever “the spirit moves.’ Its writing point is permanent—it never has to be sharpened and its “records” neither fade or rub out. Whether your “communication” is one you are send- ing or receiving your Waterman’s Ideal will glide over the paper without skip, dip, or scratch, with such un- conscious effort on your part that its action can truly be said to be “automatic ” Waterman’s Ideal Fountain Pen is so scientifically automatic that it has been incorporated as part of the marvelous “SIGNAGRAPH,” an instrument used by the government and large corporations for signing as many as twenty documents simultaneously. It is also an essential part of the DY NAMOMETER, an instru- ment that automatically records the speed, drag, track grade and vibration of a locomotive traveling at all speeds. This unfailing reliability, extending over 36 years, has made Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen the favorite writing tool through- out the world with men of affairs, scientists, scholars, authors, students, doctors, the clergy, and, in fact, all whose business or social requirements demand personal handwriting. THREE TYPES—regular, safety and self-filling, $2.50 and up at best dealers. L. E. Waterman Company 191 Broadway, New York BOSTON CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO telephone. However, I will be very glad to give her a message, if you wish.” ~~ ED, yp yotee es anes Watch Your Tongue “Yes, I have a message I'd like to send her,” returned the voice at the other end. + “Yes?” came the gentle voice of the master of the house. “You tell her from me,” said the other voice, “that I think she’s a blamed fool to work in a place where they won't let her use the phone. Good-by!” "TEARFUL PARISHIONER (say- ing farewell to departing minis- ter): 1 don’t know what we will do when you are gone, Dr. Blank. Minister: Oh, the church will soon get a better man than I am, TearFuL ParisHioner: That's what they all say, but they keep getting worse and worse. comicbooks.com