Life, 1922-12-07 · page 47 of 80
Life — December 7, 1922 — page 47: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a humorous poem (by G.K.D.) about pre-Christmas evening activities, illustrated with a social cartoon below. **The poem's joke:** Adults claim to test children's new mechanical toys and games to ensure they work properly, but really they're having as much fun as the kids—staying up past bedtime playing with dolls, puzzles, and mechanical toys themselves. **The cartoon below** depicts a domestic scene at what appears to be an upscale home during the Christmas season. A woman (Mrs. X) addresses a man (Mr. X), making a self-deprecating comment about gaining weight. His response—that he'd only write "once in a while" if she got fat—is a witty, somewhat cutting remark typical of early 20th-century magazine humor, poking fun at both marital dynamics and vanity. The overall page satirizes middle-class Christmas traditions and the gap between adult and child perspectives on holiday gift-giving.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE The Week Before Christmas d IS the week before Christmas and every night, They try to solve puzzles and each one enjoys As soon as the children are snuggled up tight The magical thrill of mechanical toys. And have sleepily murmured their wishes and prayers, Even Mother must play with a doll that can talk Such fun as goes on in the parlor downstairs! And (if you assist it) is able to walk. For Father, Big Brother and Grandfather too It’s really no matter if paint may be scratched, Start in with great vigor their youth to renew. Or a cog-wheel, a nut or a bolt gets detached; New games are unwrapped and directions are read The grown-ups are having great fun—all is well; And they play till it’s long past their hour for bed. The children don’t know it and Santa won't tell. G.K.D. sweetie, if I were to get as fat as that? Mr. X.: Oh, I should write once in a while. comicbooks.com