Life, 1927-10-20 · page 39 of 48
Life — October 20, 1927 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains a satirical short story titled "Explaining, Incidentally, the Origin of Suttee" (the historical practice of widows self-immolating on their husbands' funeral pyres in India). The joke portrays a contemporary husband, Sifon, so desperate to escape his nagging wife Ernestine that he proposes taking her to India—and jokes that she'll be obligated by custom to burn herself alive two months after he dies. The satire targets the husband's marital misery while simultaneously treating the actual historical practice of suttee as material for flippant humor. The rest of the page contains book reviews and advertisements (Crosett shoes, Roosevelt Hotel, Haffonte-Haddon Hall hotel). The period illustration style and tone reflect early 20th-century attitudes toward both domestic tensions and colonial-era non-Western practices.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ae Books Received A Book of Charades. Wells (Doran) The Garland of Defeat. M. Bennett (Vinal) Children of the Wind. By Peel (Houghton Mifflin) The Magic Map. Bonner (Macaulay) Laddergrams. By Surrick (Sears) Fair Exchange. By (Doran) The Anatomy of Virtue. Sheean (Century) Harper’s Literary Museum. Elizabeth Winslow (Harpers). The Way of Sinners. By F. R Buckley (Century) Twentieth Century Crimes. By By Carolyn By Florence Doris y Mary Graham and Cc Grant Richards By Vincent By Ola Frederick A. Mackenzie (Little, Brown) Blind Corner. By Dornford Yates (Minton, Balch) Far Gold. By Hunt Chute (Sears) The Ritz-Carltons. By Fillmore Hyde (Macy-Masius). The Kingdom of Books. Dana Orcutt (Lit Brown), Alas, Poor Yorick! By Bill (Little, Brown). The Moccasin Telegraph. By G. Evarts (Little, Brown) Chronology of Woodrow Wilson. By William Alfred H Hal By Pennington and Bolling (Stokes). Jalna, By Mazo de la Roche (Little, Here We Ride. By Anthony Ber tram. (Doran). An Unmarried Father. By Dell (Doran) Eden for One. By John (Harpers). Right Off the Map. tague (Doubleday, Frontier Ballads. Bt Finger (Doubleday, Pa Cream of the Jug. Overton (Harpers). Floyd nther By C. E. Mon- Charles J. dited by Grant Simple Stories. By — Archibald Marshall (Harpers). The Sins of the Fathers. By Felix Hollaender (Payson & Clarke) What's Ahead and Meanwhile. By Edward S. Martin (Harpers). The Lonesome Road. By Lucy Fur- man (Little, Brown) Wet Weather. By (Sears) The Paul Street Boys. Molnar (Macy-Masius), Hilary March By Ferenc Roenac, Hill, By Charles Divine (Payson & clor’ Move Over. E. Pettit (Sears), Explaining, Incidentally, the Origin of Suttee Ove friend Sifon would be a contented husband, if he did not have a wife who made his life a perfect hell, ‘The other day, after a particularly he said to her: “You know, Ernestine, I have decided to take you with me on a trip to Ind His wife calm India?” smiling. you do in India?” : t all,” he replied with a violent scene, at once. “What are became * she said, ning t ‘othing mischievous “But why go to India, the “Well, you would let me live in peace in India there, 5 know, two months after a husband dies, his wife has to follow him by burned alive.” my d Over being —Maalésh (Alezandria). $10.00's WORTH of sh in looks, leather, an manship. Finest GRADE of Imported and Domestic Calfskins and Cordovans, best of soles,"solid leather” shoes throughout tive Hand-Craft touches in youthful and conservative 3 CUSTOM STYLING — distinc- Woah Orne Full Oruin Catt ond Let Cunrees Pat Boab te perieed a 6 ASK YOUR SHOEMAN for Many Styles at $9 HALTFONTE~ HADDON HALL ATLANTIC CITY In the very center of things on the Beach and the Boardwalk, IFTY years of hospitable, homelike service, with ever-increasing material charm have made these hotels just like personal | friends to those who love to go down to the sea for rest or recreation. Fall and early winter days are most delightful. American Plan Only - Always Open Mustrated Folder on Request “Dual Trio” Radio Concerts every Tuesday evening—Tune in on WPG at 9. | LEEDS ano LIPPINCOTT CO. —— ee — Iris undoubtedly true that its in- gratiating eervice and superlative cuisine are responsible in large measure for the popularity of THE ROOSEVELT among discerning folk. Ie is equally true that THE ROOSEVELT dispenses such hos- pitality without the penalty of excessive cost. 1100 Rooms Single or En Suite BEN BERNIE and his Roosevelt Orchestra Me ROOSEVELT Epwarp Cunton Foco Managing Director comicbooks.com