Life, 1924-12-04 · page 35 of 72
Life — December 4, 1924 — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a sentimental poem with accompanying illustration, not political satire. Vedder's work presents a prayer requesting divine compassion for creatures who died prematurely or suffered—young animals that never experienced pastoral comfort, pets sacrificed or lost, and children who died before age seven. The imagery shows angels surrounding the prayer, with pastoral and domestic scenes below depicting the peaceful afterlife the poem requests: green fields, shelter, water, toys, and comfort for animals and infants. Rather than satirizing anything, this appears earnest—a Victorian-era meditation on mercy and afterlife for the innocent. It reflects period attitudes about animal welfare and childhood mortality, offering consolation through religious imagery and the promise of heavenly peace for those who suffered on earth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Speaal Boor By Abiniam Vedder c fo all things gone to death too soon Grant thou, good Lord, a special boon. Young lambs and calves that did not know Pastures where thick, rich grasses grow, Prepare green hills for all of these. The pleasant shade of leafy trees, And shelter of a barn or shed When wind and rain are overhead. Puppies whose kind, inquiring eyes Open first in Paradise Need bowls of water everywhere And bones unnumbered buried there. They would like grass to roll in, too, And different kinds of things to chew. Kittens who into darkness fared That other kittens might be spared, Give fields to them for prowling wide And fires at home to sleep beside; Catnip and cream for daily ration And friends for nightly conversation. And all the swift and darting hosts Of little wild and bright-eyed ghosts, Rabbits and chipmunks, foxes, deer, Let them no longer go in fear Of man or other beast, but be Quiet and safe eternally. And all young children less than seven, Take them into thy choicest heaven, comicbooks.com