Life, 1923-10-25 · page 5 of 34
Life — October 25, 1923 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features "Life" by Elizabethan Ditty, a poem by Ted Robinson praising an idealized woman's beauty and grace. The accompanying illustration shows two women in what appears to be a parlor, with one asking the other "Mummy, who lives in these towns?" and the mother responding "Oh, people's relations, darling." The joke relies on wordplay: "people's relations" (meaning relatives/family members) is presented as if it's a literal descriptor of who inhabits towns—a humorous non-answer that deflects the child's innocent question with verbal cleverness. This reflects early 20th-century satirical humor typical of *Life* magazine, which often used witty dialogue and social observation to mock polite society and the absurdities of upper-class conversation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lite Elizabethan Ditty Y Mistress hath an aureole My Mistress parts her scarlet lips Of gold about her head; e TOs ene OW, Her creeping tresses steal my soul $ And leave a pain instead. Their yet ungathered de And now with snow she heaps her hair And though at times may envy hint The bucks and beaux to stun— A hue from pigments won, But though with powder she is fair, They're sweet with art’s cosmetique tint, She’s fairer still with none. But sweeter still with none. My Mistress goes in satin gown And coif of cobweb lace, And lesser beauties of the town Are shadowed by her grace; O wondering mortals, make your oaths Ere this my hymn be done, Though she be lovely in her clothes, Down derry, derry-down! Ted Robinson. pais Little Girl (from New York) :..MUMMY,-WHO LIVES IN THESE TOWNS? Mother: OH, PEOPLE’S: RELATIONS, DARLING. comicbooks.com