Life, 1923-05-10 · page 5 of 36
Life — May 10, 1923 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents a romantic poem by Baird Leonard about rediscovering an old love letter. The poem nostalgically recalls passionate early romance—"rapturous, romantic days" with "nervous, glowing lines"—and contrasts this with a chance modern encounter where the two former lovers awkwardly avoid each other at the Vandermore hotel, hiding "behind a potted palm." The accompanying sketch illustrates this theme: a well-dressed woman and child encounter what appears to be a man on a city street. The caption's dialogue—"I'll give you a penny for a kiss, Elizabeth" / "No, thank you! I can earn more takin' cod-liver oil"—suggests a humorous commentary on changed circumstances or the practical attitudes replacing romantic sentiment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
On Finding an Old Love Letter Wat rapturous, romantic days These nervous, glowing lines recall, When we, with ecstasy ablaze, Were to each other all in all! My very presence in a room Could banish from the atmosphere For you all elements of gloom; Yours did the same for me, old dear, And if I spent a day or two As far away from home as Rye, You wrote like this to say that you Were desolate enough to die. Frequently, too, you used to say: “If fate should ever break our pact And we should meet some future day, I wonder how we both would act?” Last Wednesday at the Vandermore When I was meeting Bob for tea, I saw you down a corridor And you, I'm pretty sure, saw me. Well, both of us, to tell the truth, Were resolute, if not quite calm: You dodged into the nearest booth, And I behind a potted palm. Baird Leonard. SENN : H “Pll give you a penny for a kiss. “No, thank you! -I can earn more takin’ cod-liver oil.” comicbooks.com