Life, 1926-01-14 · page 26 of 40
Life — January 14, 1926 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces from the early 20th century: **"The Fable of the Gods and the Supreme Egoist"** mocks a wealthy stockbroker named Peter J. Gahagan who considers himself superior to others. The gods punish his arrogance by bankrupting him through stock market manipulation, demoting him to subway motorman. The joke: his egotism survives intact—even as a transit worker, he smugly claims superiority because he'll get a seat. It concludes he becomes a film director (likely referencing silent-film industry figures of the era). **"Dependence"** is a poem by Cornelia Otis Skinner about a woman who enjoys appearing helpless to her male companion, deliberately tripping to maintain dependence. **"Alike"** and the captain cartoon are brief jokes: one features stereotyped dialect humor about a ghost passing through walls; the other plays on a prosthetic limb as a casualty joke. The page demonstrates Life's satirical approach to American society, wealth, ego, and gender dynamics of its era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Fable of the Gods and the Supreme Egoist CE upon a time, when the world was young and one- half of Mankind was ly engaged in keeping the her half from enjoy itself, there flourished a city called w York, and in that city there was a man named Peter J. Gahagan, who considered himself rior to his fellows, as one who was set apart by the gods, Now, that was an absolutely erroneous iption, and the gods took counsel to see what could be done about it “Quite simple,” said the god Steponit; “we will debase him and let him see that he is not favored by us.” they took Peter J. Gahagan, who was a stockbroker, and they made him buy stocks when the market went up and sell stocks when the market went down, and in no time at all he was, as the god Wiscerack put it, not broker but br But though they shook the money out of Peter's pockets they couldn't shake the egoism out of his head. Down, down the scale they pushed him, until at last he beca a subway motorman, Then they went to observe Peter, and they found looking scornfully at the men and women pushing their way into his train. “Wt you so Ritzy asked Steponit, using the vernai of the times. ain't no better off than them g “Yeah,” replied Peter J q “Maybe so, But let me tell you this, bo—I'm the « y on this train that’s sure of getting a seat Then the gods saw it was no use and decided to abandon Lifer: oO, BOY, IF 1 COULD ONLY FIGURE WHO SENT ME him to his egoism, and in less time than it takes to tell it THIS! he had become a great motion picture director Bertram Bloch. Dependence — OU must know that I find it always sweet UITOR: Sir, may I have your daughter for my wife? Tage thoealeaesara vou oliee tux Her Faturr: Bring your wife around and I'll see. And when it’s dark, to tread a lonely street With you beside me so protectingly I am quite still the while you blandly tell How, without you, my fect would go astray; Tam musing on how strangely well I seem to get along with you away. Please always, always offer me your arm. Its needlessness is very dear to me. This wasted strength is parcel of that c I love you for, a little wistfully Ah, darling, may I never let it slip How often I deliberately trip! Cornelia Otis Skinner. Alike ASTUS: Ah done hear yo’ stayed in de haunted house last night. What happened? Sampo: "Bout two o'clock Ah woke up an’ a ghost come frew de side wall jes’ as if de wall wasn't dere Rastus: An’ what did yo’ do? Sampo: Boy, Ah went frew de other side wall de same “AND NOW DID YOU LOSE YOUR LEG, CAPTAIN?" way. NA CRAP GAME.” : “waatl!” wrt we should call the height of popularity would be “oH, "TWEREN’T MUCH GooD, JES’ AN OL’ WOODEN ONE THAT essman at a bootleggers’ picnic. 1 MADE MYSELF.” comicbooks.com