Life, 1920-08-19 · page 7 of 40
Life — August 19, 1920 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top section**: A poem by J.E. Middleton satirizing self-righteous moralizing. The speaker criticizes those who judge others' pets and habits while ignoring their own moral failings—a reference to the biblical Pharisees (hypocrites). The poem's irony: the speaker praises their "High Moral Sense" while avoiding self-examination. **Bottom section ("Food Saving")**: A cartoon depicting wartime rationing. A boarding-house keeper ("Boarder Takin") discusses accommodating summer guests. The dialogue jokes bitterly about food shortages—claiming the "best season" had seven boarders, "three couples in love an' a dyspeptic," implying they consumed minimal food. This satirizes Depression-era or WWI-era economic hardship and the challenge of feeding boarders during food scarcity.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Pharisee’s Pet NTHINKING triflers toy with pets, The social folk to follies run. My Moral Sense uncovers sin The Pekinese, the Chow. How can they be so dense? In every ne action. The Persian cat too often gets My treasure is a worthier one, I have no time to look within A kiss upon the brow, My own High Moral Sense. To mark my own reaction. And some go in for parroquets, Mark how it glitters in the sun, Therefore I praise my pet, and grin Which make a dismal row. Without the least expense. With holy satisfaction. J. E. Middleton, FOOD SAVING “ WELL, EZRI, HOW'D JER MAKE OUT WITH YER SUMMER BOARDERS THIS YEAR?” BEST SEASON 1 EVER HAD, THERE WAS SEVEN, ALL TOLD—THREE COUPLES IN LOVE AN’ A DYSPEPTIC.” comicbooks.com