Life, 1923-08-09 · page 13 of 36
Life — August 9, 1923 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine presents a satirical cartoon and the opening of "Mrs. Pep's Diary," a fictional humor column. **The Cartoon:** The sketch depicts Mr. Jones questioning Mrs. de Vorce about the "French imbrogio" (likely referring to French diplomatic or social affairs). Mrs. de Vorce responds that things cost more in Paris than in Reno, but "you save time"—a joke about divorce proceedings. Reno, Nevada was famous as a divorce destination requiring minimal residency; the quip suggests Paris offers speedier divorces despite higher costs. This satirizes both American attitudes toward French morality and the era's casual approach to divorce tourism. **The Diary Section:** Opens with domestic comedy about entertaining guests and managing household staff, establishing the column's satirical focus on upper-class social conventions and manners.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHAT SION HAVE YOU FRENCH J WELL, IT COSTS MORE IN Mr. Jones: Mrs. D. V.S REACHED, MRS. DE VORCE SAYE, REGARDING THE IMBROGLIO ? PARIS THAN IN 0, BUT YOU SAVE TIME. Nes. Reps Diary Awake betimes, telling Samuel of how I had dreamed of everybody I knew him, and he, to my amazement, apparently dis- gruntled at his exclusion until I convinced him, by in- voking our modern psychologists, that it was a compli- ment. And forasmuch as the autumn will soon be upon us and I have not overdrawn my accounts since early spring, I did work the conversation around to silver fox an adroit proceeding in view of the day’s heat. I know not if aught will come of it, but the seed hath been planted, and I shall attend diligently to its watering.... Lydia Loomis and her daughter to luncheon with me, thirty minutes after the appointed hour. And I did mark again how delinquent guests invariably criticize your time- s, never their own. The child, though scarce eighteen, did lead the conversation throughout the meal, and did confide to me afterwards that she meant to forswear smoking the coming week in order to convince her parent of her ability to do so. Lord! had Lydia or I displayed August 2nd save pie such manners and customs we should now, through par- ental intervention, be members of a cloistered sisterhood. After luncheon to bid farewell to Agnes Hines and found her all a-twitter over getting her trunks off against her de- parture for Europe on the morrow. And after the chauf- feur had left for the boat with the luggage, we fell to Russian Bank, I winning every game through the most amazing good fortune that ever I had in my life. But it *stopped for the day with the sport, for when I came to leave, it turned out that Agnes’ maid, the zany, had packed the black silken cape I had brought over my arm, in a trunk marked for the hold, too. And shortly afterwards, when my servant Emilie had dampened my hair and ad- justed the combs for a water-wave, our drier gave way at the outset, nor could we get an electrician at such an hour, so there I sat in a helpless frenzy, fearful of how 1 should look later on the Ritz roof. And Sam, coming in, (Continued on page 30) August 3rd comicbooks.com