Life, 1923-03-29 · page 26 of 40
Life — March 29, 1923 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a humorous piece personifying three comets as characters—Perrine's, Skjellerup's, and Baade's—who are gossiping like old acquaintances. The joke plays on an actual astronomical event: Perrine's comet, missing from observation for two generations, has reappeared alongside two other comets. The satire mocks both the comets' behavior and human nature. Perrine's boasts about a cheap vacation "out of the solar system," bragging about meals costing "eleven cents in our money"—a relatable Depression-era joke about finding bargains. His companions grow nervous when he mentions Harvard Observatory might be watching, then urgently offer him liquor to keep him quiet, afraid of being observed. The bottom cartoon about the Westport road adds extra layer: travelers taking a scenic route despite it being inefficient. The humor targets human gossip, vanity, and surveillance anxiety wrapped in astronomical whimsy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Perrine’s Return Star Missinc For 2 GENERATIONS RETURNS AS ONE oF Comet TRIO Cambridge, Mass. time in many Skjellerup’s an tS ELL, if it isn’t old Per- rine’s!” said Skjellerup’s. “Come here, you old son-of-a-gun you, and give an account of yourself. Where have you been all these gen- erations ?” “Oh, just flying around,” said Per- rine’s, secretively. “A likely story!” said Baade’s. “Just flying around with what?” “Say, look at here,” protested the wanderer. “Can’t a comet go off by himself once in a while without being ragged all over the place and put through the third degree the minute he gets back ?” “Q-ho, touchy, is he? ears. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s a touchy comet. \ \ (Associated §Press).—The epectaale of three comets swinging through the skies is afforded astronomers for the first Baade’s, that have added to-day. To the two comets, You must remember, Perry, that if we wanted to, we could find out ex- actly what you've been doing. All we have to do is look on the records at the Harvard observatory and there it is in black and white, probably with her name and everything.” “Oh, is that so?” said Perrine’s hotly. “Well, since you think you’re so smart, it isn’t on the records at the Harvard observatory. I’ve been out of this solar system entirely. They couldn’t have seen me if they had wanted to. And I'll tell you right now that where I've been is the great- est little place in the universe. And cheap! Why, say, I got a room and bath and three meals a day (and, boy, yi VvAW ee Sa “ — “Say, isn’t there a better road than this to Westport?” er eh 3X Tay — under observation for weeks, another was The tailed star ‘known as Per- rine’s, making another visitation to our stellar system after an absence of two generations, has been sighted again. let me tell you they were some meals, too. Hors d’euvres, soup, roast, two kinds of vegetables, salad, dessert and coffee), all for a hundred and twenty-five kronen, that’s about—let me see—eleven cents in our money.” Skjellerup’s and Baade’s looked at each other apprehensively. “Have a little something to drink,” suggested Baade’s, more to change the subject than anything else. “It’s all right, I can guarantee it. My doctor gave it to me for Christmas.” “Put it up, quick!” whispere: Skjellerup’s. ‘“‘They’re watching us down there at Harvard.” “T suppose you guys think that you know good liquor when you taste it “Waal, yes, they is, but most folks take this one fur the scenery.” ¢ comicbooks.com