Judge, 1887-02-19 · page 5 of 16
Judge — February 19, 1887 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of 19th-century American humor journalism: **"Literary Resemblances"** mocks aspiring writers who seek validation from famous authors, only to discover their work merely echoes existing genius rather than breaking new ground. **"A Promising Artist"** depicts the classic scenario of a struggling artist promising payment he cannot deliver—satirizing both artistic pretension and urban poverty. **"A Miracle"** presents a dialect-heavy joke featuring African American characters discussing biblical miracles. The "miracle" is that baskets of fish didn't break when feeding thousands—a play on the loaves-and-fishes story. This reflects period stereotypes through exaggerated dialect. **"Education in the Rural Districts"** satirizes tension between old and new educational methods. A rural district hires an expensive "progressive" teacher, but the girl's father (farmer Nye) remains skeptical of modern grammar instruction, preferring traditional methods. The satire targets both rural conservatism and urban educational pretension. The page reflects Gilded Age themes: literary ambition, economic struggle, racial caricature, and rural-versus-urban cultural conflict.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MBLANCES. | Iwrotea clever thing and sent it off Toone whose 1 won him Then write me the same, “Tell me whi rein you find me ve Some genius whom the world has loved torea Advise me where to print it, if you please, Anal Twill th: bu very much indeed.” The great are ever prompt. He sent me back Aletter, couched in language fair and kind “Your penmanship,” he said, * how v It brought the gifted Greeley to my 1 “And in your lighter vein you make me laugh, ‘As Enclid did, whose books I've labored through; | While sour pathetic words affected me AsTwain and Artemus, the showman, do. | What wuz de tex’ dis mornin’ | “Te wuz about de meracles, Brotl you | baskets of fish." ww! T don’t see any meracle about dat.” “Oh, de miracle am, dey all didn’t bust.” often, urd for word, L find you Ii r Snow, me famous inan who long befor Think as I think and treat Later I wrote the great m trong resemblan » Stockton in his My article has been returned to me.” MRS, GEO! DEAR, DEAR! Funeralsare soextrs a-days that oftentime on Axnist—“« I will pay you soon as I sell my picture. © There are lots of people who would be glad bay it if they only knew where I could be found.” Laxpuonp—* You'll be found on the street if you don't pay inside of three days.” A MIRACLE. Mister Johnson? I wuz too late,” W! de Lor’ fed seven people on five tousand ntly couducted now- the rites of the dead are wrongs to the living. Neither should attend the funeral. few-nor-all Education in the Rural Districts. Young Joshua Grimes has quit teaching the Wild Goose Pond district school, and learning languishes there for the prese The school directors of the district at their last meeting resolved that more progressive ideas were needed in the mental training of Wild Goose Pond’s rising generation, and so set ten-dollar- a-month home talent aside and hired genius at sixteen dollars a month from the county seat. Joshua Grimes was the yenius, r Meshellum Nye is a leading tax- iPayer in the Wild Goose Pond district. Far- mer Nye is an easy man to get along with, but is a little set in his way. He matriculated un- der the methods of Wild Guose Pond home talent of a generation or so ago, trifle shy of the new system of educ duced by the progressive directors, but he hoped for the best. His rosy-cheeked daughter Sallie is one of the district’s scholars. One evening, shortly after the new teacher from town had taken charge of the school, Farmer Nye sat by the sitting-room fire-place f corn-husker out of a hickory stick. Sallic sat near with a book. W'at ye readin’ of, Sallie ¢” said her father. “ Steddyin’ grammar, pap,” replied Sallie. o t: o them idees o the new teacher, hain't it ?” “ Yes, pap.” “ How ye gittin’ long with the new teacher, anyhow ?” said Mr. Nye, scraping his knife over the hickory. “Oh, fastest kind,” replied the student. ‘We're clear into grammar a'ready, ye see.”