Life, 1920-09-09 · page 14 of 44
Life — September 9, 1920 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page features two distinct sections: **Top Section ("Emancipator"):** A poem by Carolyn Wells celebrating the liberation of reading. The speaker describes abandoning conscientiousness about finishing books and instead enjoying selective reading—treating themselves as a "book collector" who never actually reads their volumes. It's a humorous meditation on intellectual freedom and rejecting obligation. **Bottom Section ("The Ayes Have It"):** A satirical debate about gender capabilities, referencing the old "Man versus Woman" argument. Male teachers dismiss women's abilities (losing stitches, yarns), while a female teacher counters with examples of men's incompetence in domestic tasks. The accompanying cartoon illustrates domestic chaos—likely supporting her point that men fare no better domestically. Both pieces humorously challenge conventional gender assumptions through wit rather than direct argumentation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Viity9,0 pan IN at a a, ato (mn A. el See, eg BD ‘ “I's LUCKY YOU GOT THOSE STAINS ON YOUR DRESS, MOTHER, OR 1 WOULDN'T 'A’ KNOWN THERE WAS STRAWBERRIES IN THIS FIELD” The Ayes Have It URING the recess period several teachers became engaged in a heated argument over that old theme, “Man versus Woman.” “Well, anyway,” concluded the dyspeptic male teacher of Latin, “women are more finicky than men.” “Recite an instance, please,” put in the dainty little teacher of domestic science, “If a woman loses a stitch, she'll unravel a ball of yarn trying to find it. “That's nothing, compared with what a man will do,” she came back quick! “Ifa man loses a quarter in a card game, he'll spend ten dollars ‘trying to win it bagk.” A CYNIC is unable to attract attention in any other way. THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS Emancipator H, the hours 1 have devoted to the books that I have bougit! Not because I wished to read because I thought I ought And I waded through their chapters to the last and final page, With a dogged perseverance, in a dumb and helpless rage. them, but Conscientiously I plodded, not a. single word I skipped; Though it gave me small enjoymen dom was my interest gripped; Poky as a village sermon, dry as some old parchment deed— Still, persistently I swallowed books I thought I ought to read. Now, how changed the situation! All unchidden by myself, I can gaze on unread volumes standing neatly on the shelf; Though I have great tomes of wisdom, to peruse them there's no n Circumstances alter cases. Now, have to read! I do not I can sit in lazy comfort, flipping uncut pages o'er, While no guilty pangs of conscience bid me read the weary lore; Gloating over rare old volumes and edi- tions de luxe I've become a book collector—and we never read our books! Carolyn Wells. comicbooks.co