Life, 1923-10-11 · page 9 of 36
Life — October 11, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a short story by Rollin Kirby about a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, discussing their dreams and finances. Mrs. Stebbins wants a gazebo for their property; her husband counters that they can barely afford basic necessities, describing their financial situation colorfully ("a hedge sunk in a ditch"). The top cartoon shows a domestic scene where a woman displays scandal-sheet clothing to others, with the caption "YVETTE WEARS ONE OF THESE IN THE 'SCANDALS'—YES, I THINK I'LL TAKE IT." The lower illustration depicts a car crash, captioned "DO WE STOP HERE, PAPA?" The page satirizes middle-class aspirations versus financial reality, and includes commentary on contemporary entertainment ("The Scandals"—likely the 1920s Broadway revue series).
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“YVETTE WEARS ONE OF THESE IN THE ‘SCANDALS’ !—YES, I THINK I'LL TAKE IT.” “\YJHAT we want at that point is YY a ha-ha,” said Mrs. Stebbins. You may be right at that,” re- ided her husband. “A good laugh er hurt anybody.” \ ha-ha,” said his wife, not a e—it's a hedge sunk in a ditch.” I'm aghast at your erudition,” said bbins. “However, have it your n way. It is my suggestion, then, t we have not only a couple of has, but a he-he or so, and while are doing it, how about a ho-ho?” My little boy is being sarcastic. t somehow that doesn’t help to ve a difficult problem. Suppose, n, that in the little birch grove at o> Castles in Spain the end of the ha-ha we have a gazebo?” “All my life I've wanted a’ gazebo Some day when my ship comes in, I've said, the first thing I am going to buy is a gazebo. At night I've dreamed of it. Alec Stebbins, I've said, work, my boy—slave !—stay with the job so that in the autumn of your life you can settle down and, as the setting sun gilds the world with its splendor, can go into the barnyard and pat your gazebo on its head and have it look up at you with its great trusting eyes. What is a gaz ? “Well,” Mrs. Stebbins replied, “if you are through being perfectly kill- “DO WE STOP HERE, PAPA?” ing, tell you that it is a sum- mer-house. “So fades another iridescent dream,” and he smiled sadly as he sank back into his armchair. “And now,” his wife went briskly on, “we come to the formal garden That, of course, is for an expert landscape gardener and one skilled in the topiary art.” face, but making a supreme effort he pulled himself together. “You are right,” he said, smiling “If there is one thing in this country that needs encouragement it is the topiary art. People buy automobiles, and sables, and yachts, but do they do anything for the topiary art? The topiarists of America are starving to death. If I were to tell you what I know about the conditiens—— “Alec,” said his wife, as her hand reached out and patted his, “to-mor- row will be the first of November, Will we have the money for the rent? But it is a nice game, isn't it?” Rollin Kirby. beyond the sunken rose garden A look of pain swept over his - HAT do you think of Papyrus’s chances?” Tue Fair Younc Ture: Oh, I don’t think any one can ever beat Dempsey. comicbooks.com