Life, 1923-05-24 · page 9 of 42
Life — May 24, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two satirical cartoons and a diary entry from "Mrs. Pop's Diary." **Top cartoon**: Shows a woman speaking to a child, with the caption: "What did you get for your birthday, little girl?" / "Nothin'—never got anything since the first one, an' then I only got born." This satirizes parental neglect and economic hardship, likely reflecting Depression-era struggles where families couldn't afford birthday gifts. **Bottom cartoon**: Depicts people looking through prison/jail cell bars with the caption "Come and get it!!!" This appears to satirize overcrowded prison conditions or a social commentary on incarceration. **Mrs. Pop's Diary entry** (May 17th-18th) describes attendance at a film ("The Covered Wagon") about American pioneers, touching on themes of hardship and patriotism. The overall tone reflects early 20th-century social commentary on poverty and institutional conditions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
May 17th All by myself this day to see “The Covered Wagon,” a motion pic- ture setting forth the bravery of our American pioneers, and so moved and thrilled by it that I wept slightly out of one eye throughout the entire action, And when a woman behind me remark- ed contemptuously to her compan- ion that she considered it overher- alded and that it grossly exaggerat- ed the hardships of the 49ers, I was at some pains not to turn around and tell her that her knowl- edge of American history appeared to be as small as her heart... . By taxicab afterwards to this shop that, and at our flor- ist's I did encounter Thornton Swift, who told me I had the dirti- est face that ever he saw in his life on an individual over ten years of age, whereupon he washed it for me at a flowing fount, and I told him, somewhat against my will, that it was doubtless caused by the conjunction of my lorgnette with the patriotic tears I had shed. And when I reached my cab again, I re- proached the driver for having let and A LA 4 ye WN me go into so many places with so——S, besmirched a countenance. Seldom do I catch sight of myself in a cas- ual publick mirror without think- ing, Lord! how long have I looked like this? But I suppose it is thus with every woman, May 18th Up and about at the break of day, resolved, as I aiways am on such infrequent occasions, to rise thus early for the remainder of my life, | “What did you get for your birthday, little girl?” “Nothin’—never got anything since the first one, an’ then I only got born.” albeit I know full well that I shall probably go to the other extreme on the morrow. . . .Barbara Charles of Boston to luncheon with me, and she told me how her husband was going about on crutches from the gout, and when I asked why so (Continued on page 30) The Country Is Such a Restful Place HE country is such a restful place. There are seldom more than a dozen dances a week in the coun- try. And one always feels able to drink so much synthetic gin. The local roadhouse has such a restful air. It stays open all night. The beach parties are so restful. Especially those that last till the following morning. And the afternoon teas are so restful, too. There are always so many rounds of cocktails, Then, the week-enders are such restful people. After the city, they naturally crave rest. And there’s so much of it in the country. There’s bridge, dancing, picnics, dinner parties, lunches, fétes, fan- cy-dress affairs, moonlight bathing and—oh, so many ways to rest. Really, the country is such a rest- ful place. comicbooks.com