Life, 1924-09-04 · page 10 of 36
Life — September 4, 1924 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a humorous domestic story rather than political satire. The narrative depicts a rural couple's marital discord: a husband named Zeke confesses to his wife Henrietta that he fears she'd leave him if she could, prompting her angry response that she won't allow herself to voice her true feelings. The accompanying cartoon shows a man explaining to his wife Harriet that he wasn't driving recklessly but simply "couldn't seem to coordinate [his] movements"—a comedic excuse for poor driving. The cartoons satirize marriage dynamics and domestic incompatibility common to the era, using rural/working-class settings. The humor relies on recognizing the gap between what spouses think but won't say, and absurd male excuses for misbehavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A Rural Tragedy HE old farmer came in from the sitting-room and looked solemnly at his wife, his face ashen with sorrow. “I'm afraid, Henrietta,” he said slowly, with the look of a man who would have spared his wife if he could, “that it is more serious than we thought at first.” “Zeke!” she exclaimed, grasp- ing his arm with a force that made him wince. “You're keep- ing the truth from me. Tell me—not dead?" She could scarcely bring herself to voice the word. “Absolutely—not a spark: “Oh, Zeke,” sobbed his wife, “think of those long winter evenings you and I and little Mary used to enjoy to- gether. And now—no more listening happily to those lovely selections by the Rolled Wheat Orchestra, or the Hold-Fast Glue Company's entertain- ing xylophone solos, And how erly little Mary used to look forward to the stories of Little Peter Rabbit and Kit: Pup: WY vO YOU KEEP LOOKING BACK? I WANT TO SEE IF MY TAIL IS WAGGING; THAT'S HOW I KNOW WHEN I'M MAD. Johnny Skunk.” A sob burst from her as she added bitterly, “I think it was the Babbitt Shoe Co. put out those bed- time stories.” Ezekiel nodded. Shoe Co,” “And there was nothing you could have dor “Not a thing.” Silence fell all over everything. Even the little bird in the cuckoo clock, sur- “Yes—the Babbitt prised at the discovery that it was eight, looked sympathet- ically at the sorrowing old couple and went back into re. tirement without saying a word. Suddenly little Mary skipped joyously in from the other room, “Grampaw,” she shouted eagerly, “there wasn’t anything the matter with that old radio. She just wasn't connected to the aérial—that’s all. KDKA on her now.” Tracy Hammond Lewis, I've got Reference “THAT tall, dark, good-look- ing ex-husband of yours has asked me to be his wife, and I thought I'd ask you first whether you could recommend him.” “Let me make a note of it, dearie, and I'll look him up in my diary and let you know.” D EFINITION of an efficiency expert —a man hired by an executive who is too tender-hearted to fire his own old employees. “HARRIETT, 1 TELL YOU 1 WAS not DRIVING KECKLESSLY—BUT JUST FOR THE MOMENT 1 COULDN'T SEEM TO CO-ORDINATE MY MOVEMENTS.” comicbooks.com