Life, 1922-07-20 · page 13 of 36
Life — July 20, 1922 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a courtroom scene where a Black defendant named "Rastus" is accused of stealing chickens. The judge questions why he was in the coop if not to steal; Rastus responds he was "jest testin' mah will power." This reflects early 20th-century racial stereotypes common in American humor, portraying Black people through dialect and criminal accusations. The cartoon relies on offensive caricature and derogatory depiction that was normalized in period satirical magazines. The page also contains two unrelated pieces: "Summer in an Office" (poetry about workplace discomfort) and "Things I Wonder About When I Look at a Friend's Baby" (humorous observations about infants). The racial content represents problematic historical attitudes this publication openly published.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
But if you weren't going to steal the chickens, why were you in the coop? Rastus: Summer in an Office HE winds that blow the office shades (so I've been told), Are blowing cherry petals down. The sun that makes my forchead frown Changes the dreary country field to green and gold. * * * lhey say the gray, cold rain that spoils my luncheon hour Is pleasant news to country maids. Moonlight that here so quickly fades Makes silver ghosts of every tremulous tree and flower. * * * \ll day, I wonder why I should at all believe One of these lovely country lies, And in the night, I clothe in gay disguise My dreams, lest they betray these things for grieve. which I N. R. AGaTHA: stay. Byrpie; Ibafiez says the modern novel has come to Not at our house. The neighbors borrow it. I was jest testin’ mah will power, jedge. Dat’s all. Things I Wonder About When I Look at a Friend’s Baby OES that foolish woman think hers is the only baby that ever cut a tooth? Why is its head such a funny shape? What can I say that will please the mother and not make her think I am being sarcastic about the infant? hat is a real Or is it sufficiently Could I use Mark Twain’s remark—* baby!” without her recognizing it? obvious? Is it half-witted or do all babies except my own look that way? Do you suppose they really like it? What's happened to all its hair? However, when you look at the father you don’t wonder. Our baby had heaps of hair at that age. Wonder what she'd say if I told her what I really think about it? What a thin-looking little thing it is! Its father and mother are certainly putting up a brave front. I do hope it will be all right. I wonder if she knows about diets. I must run home and have a look at our Billy. It certainly is funny how few youngsters there are.in the world that are his equal in intelligence, beauty and size. comicbooks.com