Life, 1928-02-16 · page 33 of 38
Life — February 16, 1928 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several short humorous pieces and advertisements typical of 1920s Life magazine. **"Ten Years After"** satirizes the common fate of college idealists—a young man who dreamed of writing serious literature instead became an advertising copywriter, a comedown he acknowledges with bitter humor. **"A Patient Man"** is a joke about domestic noise: a man's wife learns piano, daughter learns violin, and he must learn "to suffer in silence"—a relatable complaint about household cacophony. **"Grammatica Africana"** presents a stereotypical dialogue between a Black gardener and his employer using exaggerated dialect ("Miz Pukins," "aftahnoon," "swope"). This reflects the period's casual racial humor, now recognized as offensive. The **Nevasmok advertisement** dominates the lower half, promoting a smokeless ashtray. The humor plays on hosting etiquette—the product catches cigarette ash without mess, appealing to fastidious hostesses concerned about moths and cleanliness. Overall, this is typical 1920s humor: employment anxieties, domestic complaints, period-specific racist caricature, and consumer-focused advertising.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Ten Years After Ir was inevitable that we should finally run across that old college friend whose life ambition had been to write a novel that would cut deeply into the world of American letters. Sooner or later our path was bound to cross his, and we would again see the man who had gone forth from the campus to scotch literary bugaboos, to create new forms, new ideals. Well, it happened. We met him on the street. “What are you doing?” we inquired, stupidly. He cleared his throat. “I am writing advertising,” he replied, “and I will give you a sock in the eye."—New Yorker. For busy men and wor Abbott's, Bitters, a de- Highitul tonle and Invigor yple by mail, 25 cts CON Abbott &'Go., Baltimore, Md. Fifty-Fifty I rove my neighbor as myself, But sometimes, you can see, When [am feeling on the shelf, I don't think much of me. oungstown Telegram. \ cvsic recently said of his wife: “At the end of the evening she was so tired she could hardly keep her mouth open.” —Tit-Bits (London). A Patient Man “MY WIFE'S LEARNING TIE PIANO, AND MY DAUGIITER THE VIOLIN.” “AND YOU—WHAT ARE YOU LEARN- NG “TO SUFFER IN SILENCE.” Yuti¢rre: (Madrid). 31 Grammatica Africana From Georgia comes this contribution to the science of Afro-American gram- mar: Tue Garpenen: Miz Pukins, kin y’-all lemme git off fo’ de aftahnoon now? Mas, Perkins: Well, Zeke, have you done everything I told you to? Tue Ganvexrr: Yass'm. Leastways, I done swope off de po'ch an’ roke up de leaves.—Emporia Gazette. In a Pinch, use ALLEN'S FOOT=EASE In the Dim Past Guonta Swanson is said to yearn, now and then, to return to slapstick comedy. Miss Swanson, if you remember, was once the dark lady of the Sennetts. —New York Evening Post. Exodus “The party was one long riot from be; to end. Even before dinner was serv were popping off in all directions. Story. Ir’s just like them to do that. —Humorist (London). —Short Avorien attractive kind of flight across the Atlantic is a non-start flight. —Detroit News. is published every Thursday, simultaneously in the United States t Britain, Canada and British Possessions. ‘atent Office. The tert and illustrations in Live are copyrighted. in Great Britain apply to Live, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Fetter . C., England.’ The foreign ‘trade supplied from Live's Office, Rolls “House, Breams Buildings, London, » contributions will be returned unless accompanied by stamped and London, Title registered in U. For Reprint Rights addressed envelope. non-return of unsolicited contributions. Live does not hold itself responsible for the loss or Notice of change of address should reach this office two weeks prior to the date of issue to be affected. addressed to LIFE, $98 Madison Avenue, New York. Yearly Subscription Rate, $5.00 (Canadian, $5.80; Foreign, $6.60). All communications should be The Chap with the snappy line about moths Oswald's the sort every hostess adores. He upsets the ash trays all over her floors. smiles Oswald. How ever Can Ozzie think up thingsso | iuinoly clever? “It keeps out the moths,” If you don’t find Nevasmox at your favorite smoke shop just send us $2.50 and we will shi you one postpaid. NEVASMOK bears the highest endorsement of the Modern Hostess’ Protective Association and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Moths. Furthermore, it is absolutely smokeless and odorless—and we're not fooling. You can stand a Nevasmok on its head without spilling the flake of an ash. Yet it is as quickly cleaned out as a butter and egg man in the clutches of a hard- working blonde. You can tip a Nevasmok over but you can't keep it down. about Nevasmok is the way it neat It's In—It's Out" isn't just a catch line. y smothers a glowing cigarette end. But the best thing “When It's the statement of a profound truth. YANKEE METAL PRODUCTS CORPORATION, 507 W. 50th St., New York. Specialists in artistic smoke accessories New York Showroom 353 Fifth Avenue Room 708 NIEVASMO) Smokeless and Odorless Ash Receiver comicbooks.com