Life, 1929-03-15 · page 15 of 44
Life — March 15, 1929 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains satirical humor pieces typical of early 20th-century Life magazine: **"The Letters of a Modern Father"** depicts a father responding to his daughter's complaint about marital dissatisfaction. He dismissively recalls her earlier "stifling spells" before marriage and her brother's college success, implying her unhappiness is trivial. **"Meet the wife!"** shows a man introducing his wife—a visual gag about marriage. **"Come Across, Speakeasy!"** references Prohibition-era illegal bars, with humor about bootleggers. **"The economical golf bug"** satirizes a man sneaking away to golf during office hours. **"He Didn't Look Well"** presents a sky-writer (aerial advertiser) asking his boss to go home, claiming writer's cramp. The page's overall theme: workplace escape, marital discord, and prohibition-era social customs treated as everyday comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Letters of a Modern Father My Dear Daughter: L hope you are feeling better. I note that when you wrote me three weeks ago you were stifling. I had to go to Chicago the day it came, and when I got back we had orders for some rush deliveries of common brick, so 1 was not able to go into the matter of your suffocation. However, I recalled that you had stifling spells before you were married and that while some of them were rather costly none was fatal. And your brother Sheridan stifled a good deal when he was at college. Rereading your letter I find that you will die if you do not escape from the humdrum of daily existence. 1 hope that when you wrote that you made allowance for your letter not coming to hand promptly. Perhaps you had better address all your dying letters to the house. They might be sidetracked here at the office. I note by your third paragraph that every atom of your being crics out against fate. I left school when I was in the seventh grade to go to work and so I did not reach the atomic theory, but I have an idea what is good for it. I enclose same and hope you will not have another stifling spell ull after the first of the month. Your Affectionate Father McCready Huston. “Now that you can’t get Lindbergh, how about me?” The economical golf bug does away with his office boy. Come Across, Speakeasy! Prommpition Acrxt’s Verston: Thar’s gold in them thar hells! Discustep Ficut Fan: “EF Where'd you guys do your tra In a rumble seat?” He Didn't Look Well Skxy-Writer (to boss): Please, sir, I'd like to go home and stretch out. I just wrote “If it isn't a Pifilebristle it’s hardly a tooth-brush” ten times, and I have a bad case of writer's cramp. comicbooks.com