Life, 1928-01-19 · page 24 of 38
Life — January 19, 1928 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**Top Cartoon:** Depicts President Machado of Cuba and President Coolidge of the U.S.A. The joke relies on Coolidge's famous taciturn reputation—when asked how his horse performed in a race, Coolidge replies the horse "did not choose to run," a characteristic non-answer. Machado asks why he has no right to know, satirizing diplomatic evasiveness. **"Companionate Marriage" Section:** This satirizes the emerging 1920s concept of "companionate marriage" (a more equal, companionable partnership versus traditional marriage). The dialogue shows a husband reluctant to include his wife in his activities—refusing her company at fights, conventions, and his office—while questioning *her* commitment to family. The satire mocks men who claim modern marriage ideology while maintaining traditional male independence and control. **Right sidebar:** "Mrs. Pops Diary" and comic illustrations about tourist experiences complete the page's light social commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
December The doorbell a-ringing early, and it Ps 27th = (3s the yard of sausage from Helen Zinsser, thank God, without which 0. my Christmastide would _ never be complete, albeit Epvact’ or Tunez | Hy We! this year I did do very Datouirt Cock tats well in the matter of ON AN AMERICAN Bee largesse, what with the Tourist. two handsome lamps from Marge Boothby and the teakettle from Sam, to say nought of the per- fumes, fine linens, etc., Dee from _ miscellaneous friends, and as for the rabbit's foot from my sister-in-law Dot, I shall i cherish it all the rest of “Terrible dump— | my life as a talisman i | against the ills which do vice beset even the most for- i) pett tunate of us mortals. . Then looking over our x d che Christmas cards, I was depressed again over the printer’s mistake in our own, which made the last line of my sonnet read “mere myrrh and frank- incense and gold” instead — “ iH of “were myrrh and f | frankincense and gold,” albeit Sam, in trying to ia la stay me from cutting my s throat, did remind me of Presiwent Macnavo or Cusa: How did your horse do in the last race? how lucky I am not to be Preswent Coowince or tHe U. S. A.: He did not choose to run. in the class of Shelley or Keats, thereby giving the boys in the British “Well, why haven't I a Museum a difficult time a right to know?” B. F. S. hundred years from now when they are busy over the emenda- tions of original manuscripts, which comfort, however kindly intentioned, G Companionate Marriage ‘O F course, I'd like to go to the fight with you.” “Other men take their “Boy! T think Tl live here forever!” me with you to Atlantic City?” “Well, the convention doesn’t last twenty-four hours a day. Perhaps it is That Kind of a conven- tion.” “I wouldn’t be in the way at all.” “Why do you mind my stopping at your office?” “Are you ashamed of your wife?” “Do you put your work ahead of your family?” “What are you thinking abont—anything wrong?” “Did you enjoy your stay in Havana?” “Oh, my, yes! Why, we got New York every night on our portable radio.” was indeed small, forasmuch as I know that my own original script was consigned to Frank Casey's wastebasket in late November. My mother, writing me that she had read in my journal of the will and testament which I had made at the age of eight, did ask if I remem- bered having eluded all domestic guardians when I was five and been discovered by Judge Norman Moss, along with other enraptured villagers, singing on a street corner with the Salvation Army, “He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,” at the top of my in- fantile (Please turn to page 28) comicbooks.com