Life, 1923-07-12 · page 29 of 40
Life — July 12, 1923 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"The Egotist"** (poem by Elias Lieberman): Mocks self-centered people who believe only their knowledge matters and feel compelled to control others' affairs—"regulate my neighbor." The satire targets busybodies and those who can't tolerate others' autonomy. **"Literal"** (short story): Jokes about religious hypocrisy. A woman reads scripture about spreading "the Word" to others, but angrily tells the narrator to "mind your own business" when he looks over her shoulder. The humor lies in her failing to practice the very evangelism she preaches. **"Irate Daddy Long-Legs"** (cartoon caption): A visual gag about a nearsighted streetcar conductor repeatedly mistaking a tall passenger's long legs for the trolley pole. This plays on physical comedy and the hazards of inattentive public transportation workers. All three pieces share a theme: social criticism of inconsistency, self-absorption, and incompetence in everyday American life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Egotist “ HAT I don’t know,” Sir Crab- tree said, “Js seldom worth the knowing; The crop my neighbor harvested Was hardly worth the sowing. “The pleasures that I cannot bear Should hénceforth be abolished ; The treasures that I cannot share Should straightway be demolished. “For me there’s neither peace nor mirth In time of rest or labor, Unless I supervise the earth And regulate my neighbor.” Elias Lieberman. Literal HE read, deeply absorbed, in a worn leather book. And I, unfor- givable as it was, peeked over her shoulder. This is what I found her reading: “This is the True Word. And ye that are happy to have It, should not keep It unto yourselves. Reach ye out and spread the Word to your brothers and. sisters in darkness, that they, too, may know, and “DID YOU PAY THE PLUMBER WHAT YOU OWED HIM?” “MORE.” Then, she looked up, saw me, and closed the book with a bang. “Young man,” she exclaimed, “please mind your own business!” TH farmer wants nothing new or startling. Time and a half for overtime and two weeks’ vacation with pay during the summer will do. ih Rance Irate Daddy Long-Legs: wow! SOMETHING'LL HAVE TO BE DONE WITH THIS NEAR-SIGHTED CON- DUCTOR, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME HE’S MISTAKEN ONE OF MY LEGS FOR THE TROLLEY POLE. ! comicbooks.com