Life, 1925-12-17 · page 9 of 40
Life — December 17, 1925 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon depicts a uniformed policeman striking a man while children watch, captioned about a "crapehanger" who spoiled Christmas by telling children Santa doesn't exist. The officer says "HERE, TAKE ME CLUB, BROTHER—I'VE GOT A KID TOO," suggesting he sympathizes with punishing someone who ruins childhood innocence. Below are three cartoon vignettes titled "In a Small Apartment" satirizing cramped urban living—showing domestic chaos in tight quarters: a bed with people falling off, someone struggling with an overstuffed Christmas tree, and people tangled in hanging laundry. The sidebar articles discuss holiday complaints: a mother-in-law's coat frustrations, digestive troubles ("Roughage"), and couples sending return postcards instead of proper Christmas greetings. The humor targets middle-class domestic anxieties and holiday etiquette failures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Citizen: WHAT AM 1 DOING? —==x WHY, THIS BLANKETY-BLANK CRAPEHANGER SPOILED MY K1D'S CHRISTMAS BY TELLING HIM THERE'S NO SANTA CLAUS “HERE, TAKE ME CLUB, BROTHER—I'VE GOT A KID TOO.” Meditations of a Mother-in-Law ‘V HEN we lived out in Peoria an’ my Minnie was a little thing, © wore a wool fascinator to school the winter an’ thought she was dressed up. Now, here’s her daughter, Ermentrude, smashin’ a dollar lamp because she can't have a new tur coat, “Harold, who is no fool if he is Minnie’s husband, says the squirrel coat ht Ermentrude last year has got lo; but Ermentrude tells him he's all wet, that the old coats too long and she won't wear it. She’s a respectful little thing, for seventy-five- thirteen. When Harold and Minnie tried to explain that they couldn't af- ford to buy her a new coat, she said their explanation was a boloney, or something like that, and walked out. She cither tripped over the lamp or pushed it; anyway, it’s broke. “Minnie was so upset that she could hardly bring herself to go out that afternoon; and if it hadn't been that she was to address the Progress Club on ‘The Modern Mother and Her Child’ she'd have stayed home.” McCready Huston. HE only way to beat Wall Strect: Beat it. IN A SMALL APARTMENT Roughage MBS: BOA CONSTRICTOR: Our son seems to have an attack of acute indigestion. Do you know what he had for dinner? Mr. Boa Constrictor: Indigestion, ch? Serves the young rascal right, my dear. I told him always to swallow a porcupine head first. There and Back “YOU say they are a considerate coupl “You bet. All their Christmas greet- ings are in the form of return post- cards.” comicbooks.com