Life, 1926-11-18 · page 8 of 44
Life — November 18, 1926 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces: **"Our Daily Bread"** (top right): A poem by Norman R. Jaffray giving thanks for Thanksgiving foods—turkey, chestnut dressing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, desserts, and notably bicarbonate of soda, humorously suggesting indigestion from the heavy meal. **"The Gay Pretenders"** (left): A dialogue mocking people who claim literary sophistication without genuine understanding. Characters reference Flaubert, Russian authors, and Tolstoy, with replies suggesting these pretenders merely repeat fashionable opinions rather than actually reading or comprehending literature. **"The Younger Set"** (bottom right): A brief humorous sketch about a baby swallowing a house key, with an exasperated father unable to ask for the car because of the crisis. The overall theme satirizes social pretension and domestic chaos.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
I Boss Riveter: ow CAN ANYBODY EXPECT Us TO WORK WITH THAT NOISE GOING ON? The Gay Pretenders Hé. (who has never read a line of Voltaire): Of course, there's a rhythm Hi glowing spontancity about Voltaire that you get nowhere else, isn’t there? (who has never read a line of Flaubert): Well, I suppose so—but I've always considered Flaubert his master. You must admit his glori- ous daring and superb stylistic ordination, if you know what I mean, He (who has never read any of the Russian authors): I grant you that, but, after all, none of the Frenchmen is in it with the Slavic giants. Take Tolstoy, for instance sheer, indomi able beauty of zer Sonata that serene grim acceptance of a malevolent destiny that you get in Dostoevsky and Turgenieff! Sue (who has never heard of them): Ah, that’s true. They al- ways scem to me sublime in their complete detachment from material- ism and resolute devotion to an im- possible ideal. One who has not read them cannot know life in its tragic but delicious fullness! He (enthusiastically) : Do you know, Ka- trina, I don’t think there’s anything in the world more de- lightful than the companion- ship of cultured minds ! Sue (with equal warmth): What, in- deed, could be more so, Clarence? Lloyd Mayer. Cured RS. DILL: And docs your hus- band forget to mail your letters, too? Mrs. Hitt: Not any more. I now put them in his hip pocket along with his flask. Exactly! Our Daily Bread IVE thanks, O people of this land From Bellows Falls to Albuquer- que, Give thanks because there is at hand A plentiful supply of turkey, Give thanks, beloved people, too, Give thanks for this celestial bless- ing: That there should be for all of you Considerable chestnut dressing. Give thanks for mashed sake, For cider, cranberry sauce, new peas, Ice cream, plum pudding, chocolate potatoes’ cake— Give thanks, dear folk, for all of these. And last of all, when dinner ends (For now my hymn has reached its coda), I know you'll offer thanks, my friends, That there’s bicarbonate of soda! Norman R. Jaffray. The Younger Set “G REAT heavens, John, phone for J the doctor at once! The baby has swallowed her night key. “PATHER 18 GETTING stMPLy impossible! ; THE NERVE TO ASK FOR THE CAR THIS stonstso! IMAGINE!” comicbooks.com