Life, 1925-10-08 · page 5 of 46
Life — October 8, 1925 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct sections: **"The Shy Scabiosa"** (left): A humorous poem by G.S.C. using floral metaphor. A bee courts a scabiosa flower, but she demurs, claiming youth and inexperience. The moral warns against excessive romanticism, suggesting we should reject "Life askance" and keep "Love" at distance "Like the scabiosa?" **"Pedestrian Geometry"** (bottom left): Satirical commentary on urban pedestrian safety. It presents tongue-in-cheek "definitions" treating pedestrians mathematically—as geometric problems and traffic variables. It references Columbus Circle (being widened by twenty feet) and mocks urban planners' calculations about pedestrian safety odds. **Advertisement** (right): A perfume ad for Caron's "Naimez que Moi" (Love Only Me) and "Le Narcisse Noir" (Black Narcissus), with an elegant bottle illustration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Shy Scabiosa To a scabiosa blossom (Note my botany, I pray) Sped a bee, within whose bosom Love, the conqueror, held sway. On his bee’s knees, ardent, yearning, He proceeded to unfold, Mingled with his passion, learning, As he buzzed the story old: “Flora pulchra et formosa!” Said the scabiosa, “Oh, sirt” Such a cultivated wooing, Couched in such top-lofty toff, Well nigh proved the flower'’s undoing Though she strove to fend him off. “Be my own,” he thickly bumbled, “Yield your petals to my kiss... . Never has my heart been humbled y a love as great as this.” am far too young and s0, sir,” Sighed the scabiosa, ckly then the bee deserted, For his love was but a pose, And, they say, he more than flirted With a wild and rambling rose. This the moral of my ditty: Should we look on Life askance, mming shut the door of Pity In the face of y Romance, Never letting Love come closer Like the scabiosa? NO, sir! G. S.C. Pedestrian Geometry PEDESTRIANS equal to crossing Co- lumbus Circle are equal to anything. Gg note below.) A pedestrian is the sum of his re- maining parts. Definition: Traffic is a variable con- tly approaching the limit. A pedestrian running at right angles to a motor car is parallel to the street at the point of intersection. To describe a parabola: Dash into traffic with your eyes shut. A motor car tangent to a pedestrian is a daily spectacle. Problem of computation: The dis- | tance from curb to curb is 64 feet. How long must a 6-foot pedestrian wait be- fore making up his mind to risk his life? A motor car on the hypotenuse of a pedestrian is more painful than a motor car on either of the pedestrian’s sides. eee Note: Columbus Circle, already New York's best-stocked pedestrian preserve, is being widened by twenty fect. As the driving area will be increased by sev- eral thousand square feei, mathema- ticlans have announced that a pedes- trian’s chances of getting safely across | will be reduced to 7(2R+Luck) 13-+Central Park W. T. | | comicbooks.com