Life, 1922-02-02 · page 11 of 34
Life — February 2, 1922 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a fairy-tale styled satirical commentary on marriage and women's expectations. Three married women visit a "Marriage Fairy," each asking how long their happiness will last. The first woman brags about beauty and wealth; the second has endured 15 years of an inattentive husband; the third seeks no attention, content with quiet evenings. The fairy's response mocks all three: their happiness will last only "till the panic in Wall Street" (financial collapse), "nearly all the most-loved women" experience this decline, and ultimately until the "Golden Wedding" and death. The satire critiques both women's unrealistic marriage expectations and the economic instability threatening domestic security. The accompanying sketch shows two women in conversation—one dusting, illustrating the mundane domestic reality underlying romantic ideals.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Lady With a Duster “Well, Miss Kitty, it is my experience that they pay more attention to you if you don’t encourage ‘em.” Three Married Women HREE women once went to the Marriage Fairy. The first woman said: “My husband is not very charming or entertaining, but he is proud of my beauty, and ils me abroad in furs and satins and jewels. How long }i it last?” And the Fairy answered: “It will last till the ‘t panic in Wall Street, when your husband will lose his oney and put a bullet through his head.” \nd the second woman said: “I do not care for wealth or luxury if I can be adored. And I am. I have been married for fifteen years, and my husband still thinks me the loveliest woman on earth. How long will it last?” And the Fairy answered: “You have already had it longer than nearly all the most-loved women. It will last for eighteen months longer, and then cease quite suddenly, you will never know why.” And the third woman said: “I don’t seem to need what most women need. We are poor, and I never-had a really beautiful dress in my life. But I don’t care. My husband never pays me a great deal of attention, I don’t remember that he ever complimented me in his life. But when he comes home tired, it’s enough for me just to sit quietly with him in the evening after my work is done. And if by chance he meets my eyes and smiles, I am perfectly happy. How long will it last?” And the Fairy answered: “Tt will last till the days of your Golden Wedding, and then longer still, Do you really want it forever?” A. F. H. comicbooks.com