Life, 1922-08-03 · page 11 of 36
Life — August 3, 1922 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a poem addressing "Lady Vere de Vere," a name referencing old English aristocracy. The satire mocks a wealthy but struggling noblewoman worried about her social reputation and appearance for crowds and cameras. The poem reassures her that her blue blood and family pedigree matter more than her current financial difficulties—she needn't work, as her aristocratic status suffices. The accompanying illustration shows a professor teaching children about industriousness using an ant metaphor, concluding with dark humor: the busy ant "gets stepped on." Together, these pieces satirize both class pretension (aristocratic anxiety despite poverty) and the gap between work ethic ideology and actual outcomes for ordinary people.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE “Well, she looked up at me in that sort of amused way she has and she said: ‘The beginning’s easy enough to find, but I grant you it gets more entangled as it goes on. I didn’t quite like her tone, so I said: ‘It isn’t ex- actly a public path. It’s just a kind of track we made, Bunker and I, for ourselves,—’ ” “That ought to have held her,” murmured Mr. Hill admiringly. “And we'd like to feel it was our own, you know,— if you don’t mind,’ I said,” went on Miss Dale. “I thought I'd better put it plainly. And what do you think Granny said? “My dear, that’s what J felt when your grandfather made love to me here; and that’s what your mother felt, no doubt, when she eloped with your father from this I'll be hanged !” exclaimed Bunker. said Millicent. “Don’t you hate to think we're what everybody else has done? Only I don’t did it in just our way.” sure they didn’t, darling,” declared Mr. Hill, more roused than she had ever seen him. “How could they ? A pause ensued, “But there’s something to be said for the eloping plan,” observed Millicent, thoughtfully, after a moment, “even though Mamma did try it.” Cc. D. Buck Up, Lady Vere de Vere HAT stirs you, Lady Vere de Vere? your cheeks so wan? : Fear you your face won't register for crowds to look upon? Don’t worry for a moment. You'll never have to work; The movies know your pedigree—it's in Debrett and Burke. Why are Perhaps you fear you cannot act. is blue, The selling point is what you are, and not what you can do. Your income is not what it was, your bridge is pretty punk ; But gold you'll get, if you will pose—and pride of blood is bunk. But, oh, your blood So, cheer up, Lady Vere de Vere, for, though you're thin and pale, The camera is waiting for old families on sale. Why should you care if vulgar eyes are glued upon your face ; You get the stuff! Grace? Ain’t that enough to satisfy Your E.S.V. Z. The Professor: Let us take the example of the busy ant. He is busy all the time. He works all day and every day. Then what happens? The Bright One: He gits stepped on. comicbooks.com