Life, 1923-12-06 · page 49 of 84
Life — December 6, 1923 — page 49: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The page contains two separate pieces of humor from Life magazine's satirical tradition. **"Dan Cupid, His Mark"** is a romantic poem with accompanying illustration showing Cupid stealing a maiden's hair ribbon, shooting her with his arrow, and kissing her repeatedly. It's lighthearted verse about love's conquest, with the illustration labeled "Caught in the Act." **"Station Platform Thinking"** satirizes husbands' anxiety about Christmas shopping. The article jokes that men boarding trains are debating whether to buy their wives valuable gifts or believe their claims they don't want anything—multiply this indecision across thousands of commuters, and you explain why Fifth Avenue stores afford high rents. The humor targets masculine reluctance toward holiday shopping and gift-buying, while also gently mocking men who procrastinate, then get distracted playing with their children's mechanical toys. Both pieces reflect early-20th-century gender dynamics and consumer culture anxieties around Christmas gift-giving.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Dan Cupid, His Mark @ PID, wandering in a wood, Stole a sleeping maiden’s snood; she stirred, waking But when and cried, “Ah me! Woe’s me!” Dan Cupid hied lim fast away. Then ‘he rascal, laughing low, With her riband strung his bow; Lifted it and sped his dart, But stopped it with her heart. \lack-a-day ! Cupi!, for to ease her pain, Kissed her once and once again; On her cheek as soft as silk, On hor lips as sweet as milk, lor nay—and yea. On her lips And Dim; ou—as she made to go, smiled Cupid’s bow; pon her mantling cheek s came, at hide and seek e to play. iell that when a maid 1s twain like these betrayed, nd lasses understood— kissed her in the wood!” they ; ils Helen Moody. E‘ ERYTHING goes—on a Christ- las tree. CAUGHT IN THE ACT Station Platform Thinking VERY husband who takes this train probably is trying to decide whether or not to take his wife at her word and not get her a valuable Christmas present. Multiply this train by a thou- sand and the result will be why the stores on the Avenue can pay the rents. No man enjoys holiday shopping. In fact, many of the most calloused bundle retrievers would rebel if they did not know they were going to get a chance to play with the children’s mechanical toys on Christmas morning. Erecting a Christmas tree brings out the carpenter latent in every man. A woman who never learns not to laugh when her husband gets out the tack hammer and screw driver will never make a successful wife. McC. H. Its Chrissmuss day, Luke Frazier, an’ thet feud is off t Putter thar. v CREAT OPEN SPACES comicbooks.com