Life, 1928-12-07 · page 2 of 64
Life — December 7, 1928 — page 2: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a political cartoon but rather an illustrated poem by Grassland Rice with decoration by Charles B. Falls, published in *Life* magazine. The poem appears to be a nostalgic, melancholic piece reflecting on lost Christmas traditions and childhood memories. It references "faint bugles from a vanished Christmas blow" and "the reindeer's hoofprint on the Christmas snow," suggesting themes of vanished innocence and the passage of time. The stark winter woodland illustration complements the poem's mood of loss and distance from a cherished past. Rather than satire, this is sentimental literary content typical of early 20th-century *Life* magazine, which balanced humor with reflective, artistic pieces celebrating American traditions and nostalgia.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
te ed GOR Che Lost “Path VERSES BY DECORATION BY Grantanp Rice Cuartes B. Farts There is a lost path winding through the years That no man finds again; A path that wanders back through sighs and tears, Through pain and heartache and unending fears That storm the hearts of men; Where in some dim and distant long ago, Faint bugles from a vanished Christmas blow. How faint they seem—how faint and far away, From outposts we once knew; Brave bugles calling to an ancient faith, Before the Christmas reindeer was a wraith— When dreams could still come true; Faint tin horn trumpets from forgotten time When life knew less of prose and more of rhyme. There is a lost path winding back through dreams In some far land of truth; Back where the hearth fire sheds its distant beams, Or where the white and scarlet berry gleams Above the faith of youth; A path that none may find who does not know The reindeer’s hoofprint on the Christmas snow. comicbooks.com