Life, 1921-03-31 · page 30 of 34
Life — March 31, 1921 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes famous historical figures by imagining complaints from their wives. The humor relies on readers recognizing historical names (Peter Stuyvesant, Izaak Walton, William Penn, Samuel Pepys, Cotton Mather, Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, Isaac Newton, George Washington) and their legacies—then subverting expectations by showing domestic annoyance rather than admiration. For example, Pepys's wife allegedly tore pages from his famous diary for curlers; Franklin's wife complains about his kite experiments; Newton's wife dismisses his apple-gravity discovery as excessive fussing. The satire mocks both the glorification of "great men" and suggests their wives endured tedious obsessions. The page also includes unrelated comic illustrations and a humor section on conversation topics, typical of Life's miscellaneous satirical format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
474 From Their Wives’ Diaries M*s. STUYVESANT: Why did I ever marry Peter? Hali man and half tree! Mrs Watton: Izaak does nothing but fish all day! He will never make a name for himself! Mrs. Penn: I am sick and tired of hearing William tell how he founded Pennsylvania! Mrs. Perys: I don’t know what Samuel would say if he knew that I had torn papers out of his diary to use for curl-pa- pers! Mrs. Mater: Cotton is now presiding at the exercises at the ducking-pond, but I don't believe he knows which is witch! Mrs. Cotumpus: Christopher got that idea of a broken egg from me! I threw one at him once! Mrs. Franktin: Benjamin is out flying his kite again! I WHY THE ABYSS YAWNED. Mrs. pe Leox: Ponce is sali ‘for America to seck the Fountais of Youth, but he has refused y let me accompany him! Mrs. Kino: The Captain « that when he returns from present cruise he will have some thing to put around my neck, he is such a peculiar person I don't know if he means a st of pearls or a piece of rope! Harold Seton, Subjects for Light Conversation To Be Used Only in Emerg When All Other Topics Are Exhausted HE United States Senate. The latest styles in walking sticks, The outlook for the pecan crop The proper definition of an is reducible minimum The greatest American write really believe he is in his second childhood! next to Ring W. Lardner. Mrs. Futton: Robert says he will make a boat go by steam! The kiss that almost cost the dentist his office equipment I believe he will, but it will go to the bottom! The cause of unrest among natives of Yap. Mrs. Newton: Isaac saw an apple fall from a tree, and made Yourself. as much of a fuss as though he had eaten it and got the colic! _ Mrs. Wasnincton: If George were satisfied never to tell a “EVERY time there's a storm I'm just worn out,” com lie himself, I wouldn't object, but he expects other people to plained the overshoe. have the same ideas! “Well, I'm used up too,” retorted the umbrella. THE MAN WHO WENT TO HEAVEN “THAT'S ALL RIGHT, BOYS, I USED TO PLAY BALL MYSELF.” SMITH’S BRILLIANT RED RUNABOUT ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF FARMER BROWN'’S PRIZE BULL. comicbooks.com