Life, 1925-05-21 · page 30 of 40
Life — May 21, 1925 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines humor columns with period advertisements. The main content consists of several short jokes: **"Majority"** satirizes early marriage in rural Florida—a young man is more excited about being old enough to be called "Dad" than gaining voting rights, suggesting premature fatherhood in that region. **"The Added Burden"** mocks the irony of poverty: poor people's cheap automobiles ("flivvers") are now *society's* problem, not theirs. **"The Retort Courteous"** depicts a street confrontation where civility persists even during an insult. **"Eternity and Impermanence"** is serious poetry mourning that jewelry outlasts the mortal women who wear it—a meditation on mortality and vanity. **"In Other Words"** is an ethnic dialect joke (featuring "Deacon Brown") where a preacher's hellfire sermon gets affirmed enthusiastically by a congregant. **"First Outgrowth"** references NYC's "padlock campaign"—Prohibition-era raids on speakeasies—joking that bars now serve non-refillable drinks to avoid leaving evidence. The advertisements below (Wetzel, Brooks Brothers) are period fashion marketing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Majority Down in certain parts of Florida they marry young. A youthful giant was heard to be accosted by a friend: “'Spect ye're purty glad ye goin’ t’ be twenty-one, Jake, so ye kin vote?” “Don't keer so much about the votin’,” replied the young chap, “but I'm durn glad about it so’s I kin teach my oldest boy t’ call me ‘Dad.’ So fur, I hain’t had the nerve t’ make him call me anythin’ but ‘Jake.'"—American Legion Weekly. The Added Burden The poor we have with us : Yes, and aren't their flivvers a nuisance?—Kansas City Star, “wor? A Visitor to New Yor: “WRLL, 1 beg par- not involved in any squabble? we York Sun, THE RETORT COURTEOUS “yUS, TSk2 TO “IM, 1LOW-DOWN PIG, pip YOU CALL 'IM ? CIVILITY COSTS NUFFIN’, DO don, but could you direct me to a church ar?" —Fraser, in The Tatler (London). Eternity and Impermanence (“Exquisite Jewelry Tomb of Utica Salome, but Only Outline in’ Dust Re mains of Dancer.""—Cabdle to the Times from Utica, Tunis.) Helen's lips are drifting dust ; Cleopatra's heart is stilled ; Far below the earth her crust Sleep the girls who thrilled. Stay the deathless diadems ; Live the sempiternal pearls; Perish not the flashing gems Worn by mortal girls. Dures the diamond through the years; Time the pearl cannot defile. Take them, take them for my dear's Evanescent smile. —F.P. A., in New York Wortd. In Other Words Pastor: An’ de wicked shall be whirled into uttah darkness, foreber mo’. Deacon Brown (responsively). Whirled widout end! Praise de Lawd! —Boston Transcript. “YOU'RE A DIRTY, sin’ 1 First outgrowth of New York’s pad- lock campaign: The non-refillable cabaret. —Detroit News. Lire. is published every Thursday, simultaneously in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and British Possession in U.S. Patent Office. $5.00 a year in advance. Additional postage to foreign countries in the Postal Union, $1.60 a year; to Canada, 80 cents, Back numbers cannot be supplied. The text and illustrations in Lire are copyriahte in Great Britain oppl Lire, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Lane, London, E, C., England For Reprint Rights Fetter Live's London Office, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Lond Canadian distributor, ‘The American News Company, Ltd., 38 . James Street, Montreal,” Canada No contributions will be Tatiek unless accompanied by stamped and ddressed envelope, Lire dors not hold itself responsible for the loss or non-return of unsolicited contributions Notice of change of address should reach this office two weeks prior to the date of issue to be affected. The foreign trade a from 3 Forabtished 1876 Qand + E Forty-Fourth Street NEW YORK N the presentation of correct fashions for men, a comprehen- sive service to a dis- tinguished clientele, through three genera- tions, has established theauthoritative posi- tion of the House of Wetzel. COGSLOTHINGS Gentlemens Furnishing ots, ha AVENUE COR. FORTY-FOURTH STREET NEW YORK Special Accessories for Best Man and Ushers We have just issued a colored map. of part of New York City which will be sent to anyone mentioning comicbooks.com