Life, 1923-08-09 · page 15 of 36
Life — August 9, 1923 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct sections: 1. **"Deus ex Machina" poem**: A romantic letter written on a typewriter, humorously depicting a man expressing devotion to his absent girlfriend through modern technology rather than in person. 2. **The central illustration**: Shows two figures in period dress (appearing to be 18th or 19th century) in a wooded setting. The caption references "Disgusted Tyro" complaining about romantic dialogue, suggesting this satirizes overwrought or artificial romantic expression in literature or drama. 3. **"Facts from the Russian" section**: Discusses Russian restaurants becoming fashionable in American cities, explaining differences between Imperial Russian caviar and other Russian dishes. This reflects 1920s interest in Russian cuisine following post-Revolution emigration. The overall theme satirizes romantic affectation and contemporary enthusiasm for Russian culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Deus ex Machina Y DeaR? I purchaxed just today a Typewriter, and sol Write , that I stillfeel that way— I love you, darling, dayand night/ MY DAER, I WIsh that you were " here, oR else, my dar ling, i were there, * For INAVELOTs to tellyou, dea4, That fargile paper cannot bear/ KISSES MY DEAR DO NOT DE LIGHT, When pressed paper? I can(t believe a man is right Toeven think of such a caper, onunresp _ onsive No, I will waittill you are here, And ICAN tell you all I would— I loey no onebut you, mydaer, I love you always as I SHOLUD. I write upon this new machine Becuase mypen manshipis bad//// Just look at the perverse old thing.” Disfiguring every thouhgt I(ve had! me old-fashioned, hand-made loev— New-style machien-love doesn’t go) You know the kind I&m thinking of While lovingyou As ever, JoE. A Rejection Slip for Wedding Gifts M* and Mrs. Jones regret having to return the accompanying wed- ding present. In doing so, they wish to thank the giver for submitting it and to express the hope that other manifestations of friendship will hereafter be forthcoming from the same person, The Joneses feel sure that the recipient of this will under- stand, where so many wedding gifts have been received and where the space in the Joneses’ flat is necessarily so limited, only those can be retained which are peculiarly suited to their needs. “| Y dear,” complained the 1923- model husband when dinner » over, “why can’t you go to as a delicatessen store as Mother used to go to?” Nios < i ~ ‘> ANY PPN i" AS Mie Disgusted Tyro: \’M THROUGH—YOU CAN HAVE THOSE CURSED CLUBS, BoY! I GIVE THEM TO You! THEY'RE YOURS—D'YE UNDERSTAND? Caddie: YESSIR. THAT'LL BE FOUR-FIFTY, SIR, FOR THE ONE YOU BUSTED. Facts from the Russian AFTER many months’ exposure to the Russian-restaurant epidemic, now raging in most of our larger cities, the National Association of Diners-Out Who Will Try Anything Once has reached the following con- clusions : That soup made of beets, stock, cabbage and sour cream is called Bortsch. That soup made of beets, sour cream and cabbage is Bortsch Muscovite. That soup made of cabbage, sour cream, beets and stock is called Bortsch Poltasky. stock, called That of the 15,000 former generals of the former Czar’s former army,, approximately 14,998 are operating Russian restaurants in America, That the chief difference between Imported Russian caviar (black) and Imperial Russian caviar (gray) is about $1 a portior. That in all cases the waitress at the table on your immediate right is or used to be a real Russian prince: whereas the s at your table is just an ordinary ‘yday countess. That the conventional ten per cent. tip in American money cannot be suc- cessfully translated into Russian. comicbooks.com