Life, 1922-12-07 · page 22 of 80
Life — December 7, 1922 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a romantic illustration and poem from Life magazine, not political satire. It depicts a fairy-tale scene where an old harper kisses a woman beneath mistletoe and experiences magical rejuvenation—his youth returns. The narrative references Celtic mythology (Bran the Druid, Mab the fairy queen) to create a whimsical fantasy. The poem celebrates mistletoe's legendary romantic properties: the kiss restores the man's vigor and transports both lovers to "Fairyland," while leaving behind an enchantment that makes youth eternal and love eternal beneath the mistletoe. This is sentimental, fantasy-based content typical of early Life magazine's lighter material—escapist entertainment with no apparent political commentary or social satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mistletoe Magic he slept beneath the mistletoe She gave her mouth, she gave her hand, That Bran the Druid came to glean. About her waist he bent his arm, How should the ancient harper know Away they fled to Fairyland, The face of Mab, the fairy queen ? But left behind the lasting charm: He dared to kiss the parted lips That all are young, and none are old Of her that rules the dreams of men, And hearts are high, though lights are low, And like the tide that rocks the ships And maids are fair and men are bold His youth, his youth came back again ! Beneath the magic mistletoe. comicbooks.com