Life, 1926-11-04 · page 14 of 40
Life — November 4, 1926 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features "Mrs. Pop's Diary" (October 12th), a domestic humor column where the narrator recounts her husband's loud bathing and singing, which she fears might damage nearby buildings. She notes his subsequent melancholy and worries about his mental state. The main cartoon, "Babel Tower" by Met Gross (credited at bottom), depicts a tall tower with multiple levels where tiny figures attempt various activities. Below are reader responses: one "Casual Acquaintance" thought it "pretty good in spots," while a "Critic" offered mixed praise. At right, "The Surly Adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Frostling" begins a serialized comic strip about this couple's misadventures, featuring illustrations of a man, woman, and horse. The page represents typical early 20th-century magazine humor mixing domestic comedy, visual gags, and serialized strips.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ae-oS-Ge tao Pulau SSS Casual Acquaintance: WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT FARCE CA Critic: 1 THOUGHT 1T WAS PRETTY GOOD IN SPOTS, (Eprror’s Nore: It may be argued that the hippo- potamus derrick in this clever drawing by Mr. Gross merely clouds the issue and distracts the reader’s atten- tion from the real symbolic point of the anecdote. But those who are familiar with Mr. Gross’s style will ap- preciate the subtle, and here we are almost at the bottom of the page.) D “ MEASLES’? Nore to Printer: You stick to your printing and sing remarks on the quality of the material we lish in this magazine. Hes Pops Diary» October This morning my husband, poor wretch, did I chant in his bath the most melancholy tunes 12th that ever I heard in my life, so, recalling that every tall building has a musical note which can overthrow it, I did beseech him to cease through fear that he might acci- dentally bring down the neighboring Shelton. Where- upon he did con- fide to me a great misery of spirit, so, albeit I did know his trouble to be nought save the need of a pique to 5, his liver, I did ad- monish him to pon- der on those less fortunate than him- self, but he vouch- safed he could think of none, except, possibly, persons under indictment for murder or scheduled for appointments with their dentists. Abandoning him, to his gloom, to the morning mail, and the large number of circularizations therein did call to mind what Elizabeth Crews told me yester- day about the secretary of a Boston garden club who, having sent out a form card with the date of the next meeting and a request to place a mark after “I will be present” or “T will not be present,” had received five responses with the “will” crossed out and a “shall” care fully — substi- tuted for it, Which does go to suggest that some of the things which we read in the comic papers about that city may not be so far from the truth... Rag, tag and bobtail in to call this (Continued on page 34) The Surly Adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Frosting “THE FIRST THING I NOTICED THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG,” sain MR, FROSTI WAS WHE 1 roUND MRS, FROSTI S HAND IN) HER movTit.” (Continued on page 14) Designing Flapper (to eligible young man): WHEN You FIND A GIRL LIKE THE ONE YOUR MOTHER USED TO BE, YOU’LL MARRY HER? The Youth: Norv NECESSARILY. MOTHER SHOT FATHER. * (N. B.—She had to laugh at that.) comicbooks.com