Life, 1927-11-17 · page 21 of 48
Life — November 17, 1927 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains three satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century American humor: **"An Errand"** by Carolyn Wells is a humorous poem about a woman obsessed with buying a feather for a seemingly trivial purpose—to knock people down with it. The satire mocks the frivolous priorities of society women. **"I Wanted You to Be the First to Know"** is a letter from a woman (Sandie) breaking her engagement to Bill to marry Roswell. The satire lies in her self-centered, contradictory rambling: she claims to adore Bill while explaining why she's leaving him, repeatedly saying "it's killing" and "you never can tell," capturing the shallow sentimentality and poor logic of careless romantic declarations. **"Action!"** and **"Proud of It"** are brief joke exchanges. The first mocks a football player who missed a tackle because he was distracted by recognizing an actor (Richard Dix) from a film. The second is a flirtatious exchange where a maid refuses a man's advances then brags about rebuffing him to other women. The overall theme: satirizing vanity, thoughtlessness, and performative social behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
.ool a & An Errand F to-morrow is good weather, I'm going to the town; For I have to buy a feather, A most important feather, Of red or green or brown. I don’t just know at present The bird that I may choose; An ostrich feather’s pleasant, golden pheasant, ‘ock, with its hues. I'm not quite certain whether I'd like the Northern Loon; But, take it all together, I have to have that feather, And I have to have it soon! Say, by to-morrow morning— Or Wednesday afternoon. For, I mean to use that feather, That I come back from town with — That most important feather, To— Knock some people down with! Carolyn Wells. “IT Wanted You to Be the First to Know” D ZAR BILL: , I am writing to you because I wanted you to be the first to know of my engagement to Roswell Whifhe who I really feel after thinking it over is the only man I could ever marry although I adore you, Bill, and always want you for a friend and I will never forget how very sweet you have always been to me fond of you just the same only I have decided definitely to marry Roswell. He is tall, dark and simply fascinating and is a Harvard man which is awfully funny because I never thought I'd ever marry a Harvard man because all my friends are } ably all Yale or Princeton men—isn't it killing? It just shows you never can tell, can you? Of course I'm all agog about it because I only decided the other day because I simply couldn't make up my mind about Roswell b 1 adore you, Bill, only somehow I feel I am not the wife for you. I think perhaps we know each other too well but I am awfully sorry about it because I adore you, Bill, but think this is for the best. Ros- and am terrib! use Action! Coach (beticeen halves): wiuy, yor rrep !!/—-M@!! reper inn PLAT-POOTED, CHEESE-HEADED, BAT- WHY DIDN'T YOU NAIL THAT RUNNER? THE WAY HE WAS COMING AT YOU A BABY COULD ‘A’ sPILLED THAT GUY! You JUST SAT KIGHT DOWN IN FRONT OF 11IM—yot WAS THE MATTER WITIE You sat, YOU HOG-BRAINED 1D10T! WHAT Mar Who Missed the Tackle: weit, y’see, COACH, | WORKED IN A FOOTBALL PICTURE ON THE COAST THIS SUMMER AND THAT HALPBACK LOOKED JUST LIKE RICHARD DIX. well is awfully broadminded and we have talked it all over and have de- cided that we can both see our friends just the same after we arc He: Wikre ARE YOU GOING, MY PRETTY MAID? yW MUCH MONEY HAVR you? ABOUT A DOLLAR AND A ALP IT's NONE OF YOUR HUSINESS WHERE I'M GOING married and I hope it isn’ ing to make any difference to you that I un married because I adore you, Bill, and want to see you loads after I am married because Roswell won't mind and of surse you must come to the wedding. Do you remember how we used to say we'd get married in that cute little church on Everett Street? Well, it’s too funny because that is the very church Roswell picked out. Isn't it killing? It just shows you never can tell, can you? Please come to see me soon, Bill, and I know vou will understand my writ- ing vou this because I adore you and wanted you to be the first to know, I know this will all make you as happy as I am because you are so fond of me as I am of you As ever lovingly, Sanpie Lloyd Mayer Proud of It J OF: What do you do when a max . tries to kiss vou? Joan: I tell every girl I know comicbooks.com