Life, 1925-02-26 · page 17 of 36
Life — February 26, 1925 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features a poem by Dorothy Parker titled "Balto (The Lead Dog of the Team That Brought Antitoxin to Nome)," accompanied by an illustration by Charles Livingston Bull. The poem honors Balto, a sled dog who led a famous 1925 dogsled relay delivering diphtheria antitoxin to the isolated town of Nome, Alaska during a health crisis. Parker's verse celebrates the dog's heroism and endurance, contrasting Balto's quiet courage with human seeking of glory. The illustration shows Balto leading the sled team through harsh snow. This represents Life magazine's use of poetry and illustration to commemorate an actual heroic animal, treating Balto's service with genuine reverence rather than satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mice 4 (The Lead Dog of the Team That Baugh 77 Arititoxin to Nome) - THINK that you could, ‘only pity me " 7: Who'd want.t6-‘weep and stroke your head/and ad k And murmur littlé names¢-mellifluously, Et know 99 other thigg to do. id What should 1 fact but Narop: my eyes, and stfain, + To cloak the meanness of my offerinigs,; * Who am ea at cold; and hide from pain, ; Vic And hve with litelé, little things. : ye hee Says ‘lip ‘by in thin and wavering line; 4 >. Softened my life,'to such ag sick men lead. yy And sharp there cutsacross dimmed hour$ like mine! The ¢old white Ue of your deo pQutraging casnered Death, Beak the purse Against the whining night, the whirling day. When man ‘gave over to the inhuman force,’ « r¥ Then it was you who led he way, Though never “trumpet dived os to the Sah. 2 And roystering rush of war was not your Parts ; Your-spirit was a ‘rocket in the nighty You bore a banner in your heart. ee hope of cited iter led you then, 4 Simplyyso went your days’Sinég” they} You did the thing, nor thought of é agaiiv/ A-very gallant gentlemen vy iS : ~ Dorgdty ae ‘ Cxanves Lamesren Byte. comicbooks.com