The Adventures of Lovely Lilly

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The New York Herald building, circa 1908

It was here in the New York Herald building (above) that it all began. No, not the Creation, but the American tradition of the Fourth Estate being free, unbiased, and without political influence. The derivation of the term arises from the traditional European concept of the three estates in a realm: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. The New York Herald building was located on Herald Square at the north end between West 34th and 35th streets.

In the first issue of the paper (May 6, 1835) publisher James Gordon Bennett, Sr., wrote, “We shall support no party, nor be the agent of no faction or coterie, and we care nothing for any election, or any candidate from president down to constable.” The newspaper’s editorial staff and most of the reporters, however, were frequently considered sympathetic to the Jacksonian Democratic Party and later President John Tyler.

Using the NYH’s announced claim, the Herald was the perfect medium that writers and   journalists, cartoonists, and poets chose to deliver their professional creations to the public without conflict or acrimony.

Carolyn Wells was one such contributor. Her work often appeared in the magazine or children’s section of the paper throughout the first decade of the twentieth century.

Without debate or doubt, one of the weirdest of Wells’s contributions was the Adventures of Lovely Lilly, which ran in the Sunday New York Herald from December 1906 to January 27, 1907, and again from May to June 9, 1907. The Lilly illustrations were done by George F. Kaber a Philadelphian, born in 1860. He was, indeed, a contemporary of the author.

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“Lovely Lilly” is not the sweet little girl you would imagine: each episode consists of her encounter with a wild animal. When Lilly meets each beast (who is really the star-of-the-show), she often without reason scolds it, boxes its ears or otherwise submits it to her torture-du-jour while smiling graciously and without crumpling her clothes.

Lilly’s adventures are quite outlandish, and even in that decade the tales brought fierce criticism from animal-rights groups and huge cadres of calamity howlers. The animals she tormented in a most loving fashion were a buffalo, elephant, hippopotamus, shark, alligator, cobra, lion, and tiger. Apparently sometime after their appearance in the newspaper four of the eight “adventures” were chosen to be reprinted as postcards.

The Snake (cobra), Lion, Hippopotamus, and Tiger postcards, (sixteen cards in total) were apparently copyrighted separately in 1906 and 1907 by the New York Herald Company and published by Fred C. Lounsbury. Each card illustrates one line in the poems that make the Lilly adventures.

The Adventures of Lovely Lilly by Carolyn Wells are all quatrains. In the first line Lilly finds a wild animal in the woods or lying in the sun. In the second line Lilly wonders how she could interact with the animal to provoke a reaction; then in the third line when the wild animal reacts as expected, the fourth line tells how Lilly gets the better of her awful antic and walks away unscathed.

The Adventures of Lovely Lilly by Carolyn Wells
(A Cobra)
Lovely Lilly saw a Cobra, sleeping in the sun.
Lilly thought to tickle snakes would be a lot of fun.
So she teased him, ‘til in anger, he prepared to spring.
Lilly picked him up and tied him in a knot, like string.
The Adventures of Lovely Lilly by Carolyn Wells
(The Tiger)
Lovely Lilly met a tiger walking in the wood.
Angrily he snapped and snarled as any tiger would.
By his throat she firmly grabbed him till he held his breath.
With her chubby hands she squeezed him till he choked to death.

 

The Adventures of Lovely Lilly by Carolyn Wells
(The Hippopotamus)
Lovely Lilly met a monstrous Hippopotamus.
Lilly saw the horrid creature meant to make a muss.
So she picked him up and shook him, hard as hard could be.
With a careless gesture then she tossed him up a tree.
The Adventures of Lovely Lilly by Carolyn Wells
(The Lion)
Lovely Lilly met an angry Lion on a hill.
Lovely Lilly tweaked his mane, which made him madder still.
With a growl the beast sprang at her, Lilly didn’t scold.
With her tiny foot she kicked him down the hill he rolled.

          

Adventures of Lovely Lilly
(The Crocodile)
Lovely Lilly out a walking saw a crocodile.
Lovely Lilly said “Good Morning” with a pleasant smile.
Nearer came the beast and nearer wide he stretched his maw.
Lovely Lilly with a quiet wrench, broke the creature’s jaw.
Adventures of Lovely Lilly
(The Buffalo)
Lovely Lilly in her travels met a buffalo.
Fierce and furious, the creature rushed at Lilly, so!
Naughty! Naughty!” Lilly cried with disapproving frown.
Then she stuffed him in a box and shut the cover down.
Adventures of Lovely Lilly
(The Elephant)
Lovely Lilly idly watched an elephant draw nigh.
When he glared at her, she looked him squarely in the eye.
When he trumpeted aloud and thought he’d roused her fears.
Lovely Lilly only laughed at him and soundly boxed his ears.
Adventures of Lovely Lilly
(The Shark)
Lovely Lilly once in swimming, chanced to see a shark.
Lilly thought to tease him would be quite a jolly lark.
Mad with anger, he pursues her, Lilly whisks about
And, lest he should bite her head, she pulls his teeth all out.

**

I hope never to meet Lovely Lilly!

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How interesting to hear about the origin of these postcards from the newspaper! I didn’t realize there were 4 to each set.

Interesting to know about these postcards, but I won’t be trying to add any of them to my collection.

I could have done without the opening political commentary but the cards are nice.

Lovely Lily is indeed quite the terror. Great article.

Absolutely priceless Thankyou

I first heard of Carolyn Wells when I read her poem How to Know the Wild Animals: https://rainydaypoems.com/poems-for-kids/animal-poems/how-to-know-the-wild-animals-by-carolyn-wells/

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