Life, 1923-03-29 · page 15 of 40
Life — March 29, 1923 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main illustration shows a line of men at a "Paying Teller" window, captioned "The Young Financier: How many marks for a cent to-day?" This satirizes post-WWI currency chaos, likely German hyperinflation (the reference to "marks" for a "cent" suggests wildly unfavorable exchange rates). The joke mocks both young speculators trying to profit from currency fluctuations and the absurdity of wartime financial instability. The page also contains three humorous columns: one about matrimonial life using tortured wordplay; another celebrating spring with bad puns ("Spring is coming with lightsome feet"); and a piece on "Spiritual Law in the Natural World" ironically contrasting Newton's gravity with societal hypocrisy. These represent typical Life magazine satirical humor—social commentary wrapped in elaborate, deliberately terrible puns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Young Financier: How many marks for a cent to-day? Matrimoanially Speaking ] AM what you might call an au- thor. I have lately resorted to the bonds of matrimony as a means of linking up with inspiration. And the yeriment is succeeding beyond my wildest imagination. Evrey timme I Get niCley start- tttedd oN a sTorry my sweeet litle wiife plumppes herrelf downn in 1 lapp and covverrs mY face wiTH Klsses. OF Courses thIs makkes it sommewhat dificcult to yyperite,,to ssay notHiNG oF THE ullty oof commposing innn my linnarrilly vapidd sstlylee,, ANd ereinn,Ifele sure liess my best hopp fame and forttune. PRety sooon somme longg%haired connoisssseure t aRT Wiil spott mme as a futur- iC geniUS. oR s ome ggood irtted colege proffessor Will “dis- covver# mme as tthe blankestt blankk verse writerr of the dAY. AnD fuu- ture genferaations wwil ssstudyMe «» AND forr alll thiss succes 1%11 havv my Darrlinf W too Thannk,, SHe q“2WillHAVE zzzzprodUCEd Thatt little tuchh oF MYystery thAt Invariabvybly provol thE applaus oof THe crittiCs, ,((sO Kisse me againn. LOVE. annd gett thiss buy Llfe for me() . As i Said at thee Outsett,. I am wHat you might call an %%$"/;@!! W. B. Spring Triolet SPRING is coming with lightsome feet Stuck in a pair of floppy galoshes ; Nestlings warble their “tweet, tweet, tweet,” Spring is coming with lightsome feet, Daffodils, tulips and daisies sweet, Colds, umbrellas and mackintoshes. Spring is coming with lightsome feet, Stuck in a pair of floppy galoshes. B.1. Spiritual Law in the Natural World HIS treatise shall be to the point—thus : Sprrituat Gravity This solemn urge may be observed in the deportment of telegraph poles, stone posts, judges (“during good be- havior”), politicians (in office), and servants (when present). No telegraph post ever laughed !—- no matter how the wires buzzed. No stone post, judge, politician, or ser- vant was ever observed to be sport- ively good-humored. The law was first discovered by Eve, who surpassed Newton (a scientific man) in initiative. She got her apple by strategy. Newton slept till his fell on his nose. Neither was ever the same afterward! Owing to its discoverer, the law acts in inverse proportion to the use of cosmetics. R. K. M. comicbooks.com