Life, 1925-12-17 · page 14 of 40
Life — December 17, 1925 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains two satirical pieces: **Top cartoon**: A visual joke about Santa's transportation safety during a Chicago visit, showing him using a covered wagon pulled by reindeer instead of traditional sleigh—likely referencing Chicago's reputation for gangland violence during Prohibition. **"Mrs. Pep's Diary"**: A humorous column dated November 23rd-24th describing the author's domestic frustrations. She complains about unexpected house guests, her husband's financial secrecy, a friend's failed diet, and receiving a book titled "The Man Mencken" (referencing H.L. Mencken, a prominent social critic). The cartoon below shows a woodsman sparing a tree, illustrating the phrase "Woodman, spare that tree!"—a reference to a sentimental 19th-century poem, used here ironically for comedic effect.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SANTA 1S TAKING Ht The visiting firemen, as Sam calls his college November; i friends who come on annually for the football 23rd games, have at in peace, sot cocktayle parties an afternoon, and can dine more frequently at our own table, where I can eat as many radishes as I like. The morning spent over my accounts, which are in such a sorry state that I am distraught over my solvency, and in- clined to replenish my income in secret by some of the methods ast departed, albeit not exactly all not be required at three or four now we sl which I do see so frequently ‘set forward in the publick prints, but Lord! when I fell upon the Help Wanted columns, NO CHANCES WHEN HE VISITS CHICAGO THIS YEAR. ; Lops Diary the first announcement 1 saw did read: AS DEMON- STRATOR; attractive young woman who is not afraid to face bullets. Whereupon I became too discouraged to proceed, albeit my curiosity urges me to call at the Thirty- fifth Street address which was given, to find out what duties such a notice might have demanded of a successful appli- cant. Then, too, I gravely doubt if I could profit suffi- ciently from > knitting or making artificial flowers at home to make any great impression on my indebtedness, so, forasmuch as I shrink from dealings with pawnbrokers, methinks my husband must once mere be summoned to my rescue, and I must divine some “WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE!” ruse whereby he will give the mini- mum of thought to my financial de- fections. Marge Boothby in at luncheon time, and I did order for her the milk and vichy upon which she has be subsisting for six days now, eleven pounds thereby, but the poor wretch had beheld during her shopping excursion three billboards illustrating various food products, and their allur- ing lusciousness had so undermined her morale that she clamored loudly to par- take of the creamed mushrooms and peas which were set before me, nor did I have the heart to deny her, my own dicting experiences having brought home to me the full force of Burns's lines, What's done we partly can compute, But know not what's resis! This morning come a book November csritted “The Man Mencken,” 24th hich I did find so fascinat- ing that I fairly barked at all who interrupted me over the telephone, in especial at William Hurlbut, who wanted nought but my settlement of a point of grammar for him and then ‘med inclined to disagree with my de- ion, But it was somewhat different (Continued on page 32) pee comicbooks.com