Life, 1922-12-21 · page 23 of 42
Life — December 21, 1922 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Cartoons:** The top cartoon depicts anthropomorphic insects at a Christmas gathering. A spider (Sally) has positioned herself under mistletoe, but the male bugs lack a step-ladder to reach her—a visual gag playing on the mistletoe-kissing tradition while mocking the bugs' practical incompetence. **"Twin Bed-Time Stories" Dialogue:** This satirizes middle-class hypocrisy about Christmas values. Benedict gave his wife Leila an expensive fur coat (costing hundreds of dollars), expecting gratitude. However, Leila rebukes him for equating gift-giving with money rather than "Christmas spirit." The irony emerges when Leila confesses her real distress: she received expensive gifts from acquaintances (Mrs. Clyde's Wedgwood bowl) but only sent them Christmas cards. Benedict cynically suggests she use her own "spirit over materialism" argument as an excuse. **The Satire:** The piece mocks the contradiction between professed Christmas ideals (spiritual generosity) and actual behavior (monetary anxiety and social one-upmanship). Both spouses are exposed as hypocritical—he for materialistic gift-giving, she for social embarrassment over gift imbalances despite her moral posturing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Old Mr. Beetle: What's all the commotion about? Young Mr. Bug: Commotion! Why, pretty Sally Spider has been hanging around under that - mistletoe for the last half-hour and not one of those pesky dudes thought to bring a step-ladder. Twin Bed-Time Stories Revealing the True Christmas Spirit T is Christmas night in the Newleighs’ bed-room. They have just retired to their twin beds. BeNepIcT (complacently settling his head into his pil- low): Well, it’s been a pretty good old Christmas for you, hasn't it, Leila? Mrs. NewterGH: Why—er—in what way, Benedict? Benepicr (deciding not to go to sleep immediately) : Say, you haven't forgotten that fur coat I came across with already, have you? Mrs. NEwLeicH (somewhat confused): course. That was very sweet of you, Benedict. showed the real Christmas spirit. Benepict (with emphasis) : four hundred smackers’ worth. Mrs. NewLeicH (with the air of one addressing a mortal on a lower plane): Oh, there you go—money, money. You don’t seem to realize that Christmas spirit can’t be reckoned on an adding machine. Benepict: Can't, hey? Darned funny you didn’t talk like this sooner. You'd have saved papa some dough. Mrs. NewtetcH: Benedict! It isn’t what things cost. It’s the spirit things are given in that counts! Men are all alike. They think the minute they wave a check in a wife’s face she should shriek for joy. Oh yes, of You T'll say I did. About Benepict (gloomily): Well, if anybody’d only start waving ‘em in front of my face, /’d shriek for joy! Mrs. Newteicu: Of course I appreciated your coat, Benedict. Let's not argue about that any longer. (Sigh- ing.) If I seem a little tired it’s because of other things that have gone wrong. (After a pause.) I just won't know what to say to Mrs. Clyde the next time I see her! Benepict: Well, what's the trouble with Mrs. Clyde? Mrs. Newreicu (in tones of great distress): Why, she sent me the most beautiful Wedgwood bowl you ever saw. And that isn’t all. Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Daly and five or six others gave me presents and all I sent to any of them was a Christmas card. I never DREAMED that they had me on their list this year. Benepict: Pshaw! I know what you can tell ’em. Mrs. NewLeicH (with only the faintest indication of hope in her voice): What? . Benepict: Just hand ’em that line you gave me. Say that you only sent them cards because you just learned this year it’s the spirit that counts at Christmas. Mrs. NewLercH: Oh—h— Benepict (peacefully): Nighty, night, honey! (A Rapip But Orperty Curta1n) T. HL. comicbooks.com