Life, 1922-11-30 · page 12 of 36
Life — November 30, 1922 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces: 1. **"Some Literary Notes from Europe"**: A column by a Paris correspondent discussing European literary matters, including Clemenceau's memoir publication and the growth of the memoir industry. 2. **"The Happiest Man in the World"**: A comic dialogue between William and his Queen at their home in Doorn (likely referring to exiled German Kaiser Wilhelm II). The joke centers on William repeatedly insisting on going downstairs to put coal on the fire despite the Queen's assurances it's not cold—depicting him as obsessive or henpecked. The accompanying cartoon shows a dinner scene with the caption: "She: Is that our waiter? / He: All but the final payment"—a joke about unpaid servants or debts.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Some Literary Notes from Europe (By Our Special Correspondent) Paris (via cable, radio and trance medium)—I men- tioned to Clemenceau the other day that Kemal Pasha is to receive*1,200,000 piastres for his memoirs if he ever gets around to writing them. “A large sum, m’est-ce pas?” I inquired. * “True,” said Clemenceau, a frosty twinkle in his eye, “but who wants to be a Kemal?” In the last six months the writing of memoirs has risen from seventeenth place among European industries to third, and is now outranked only by the manufacture of antiques and the printing of paper money. All the best hotels are full of American syndicate managers, and Margot Asquith is rushing madly from one capital to another, giving lessons. Lenin is known to be writing his recollections, and there is a persistent rumor in semi-official circles that he has retired for this purpose to his ancestral castle, the Lenin tower of Pisa. The growth of the memoir industry will have a pro- found effect on world literature. In 1921 it was estima- ted that every fourth book published in the world (includ- ing the Scandinavian) was by H. G. Wells. By the end of this year the statement will no longer be true. I_men- tioned this fact, a few days ago, to Bernard Shaw. “Ah!” he said, cryptically. S.K. She: The Happiest Man in the World The scene is the living room at Doorn.’ William and his Queen are discovered on either side of a table. Wutram: Do you think it is cold in here? Tue Queen: No; I am all right; I don’t think it's cold. Witu1am: Do you think I’d better go down and put some coal on? Tue Queen: I hardly think so; it isn’t cold in here, (Two hours pass, while William reads the “Real Estate for Sale,” “Household Goods, Sale or Exchange” and “Situations—Male.” The Queen spends the time going through the paper to check up her current murder cases.) Wit1am: Do you think it is cold in here? Tue Queen: No; I am all right; I don’t think it is cold. Witt1aM: Do you think I'd better go down and put some coal on? Tue Queen: I hardly think so; it isn’t cold in here. (Two hours pass. They have exchanged sections of the paper.) WILtiaM: and turn in. Tue Queen: Are you still happy, William, the hap- piest man in the world? WILL1aM (yawning): Uh, huh. You go on up: I gotta go down and put some coal on. McC.H, I think I'll go down and put some coal on Is that our waiter? He: All but the final payment. comicbooks.com