Judge, 1887-03-12 · page 7 of 24
Judge — March 12, 1887 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains dialect humor stories typical of late-19th-century American satire, using exaggerated African American vernacular ("Sis' Isabel," "Brer George"). **"Both Sides of the Shield"** depicts a church dispute: Sis' Isabel claims Brer George borrowed money for a church collection but lost it among tobacco stalks. George denies ever having the money. Their conflicting accounts—both plausible, both suspicious—illustrate how truth becomes murky in disputes. **"He Saw the Point"** (right cartoon) shows a man finally understanding a woman's implied criticism after initial confusion. **"Getting Out of It"** depicts social awkwardness: Mr. Sutton righteously condemns a man for kissing a woman, but when Mrs. Sutton mentions thinking of *that woman* fondly, Sutton realizes his wife meant something different—an embarrassing misunderstanding resolved too late. The satire mocks human nature: self-deception, miscommunication, and how people rationalize questionable behavior through plausible denial or convenient misunderstanding.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mapes 7 7 THE SUPERLATIV Scong of so serious a nature that Walnut Grove church felt called |to settle it, and to that end both parties were ‘had up” before church I've seen the wild | meeting; and, as gallantry demanded, Sis’ Isabel was given the first men in Bor | word. She sai Chris’mus eve night I took an’ gin er fesservil, an’ ngo captured | ‘cause ole man Wilson, my husban’, he so cu'yerous, he dejected ter (You'll find them | foke our house at home, an’ I ha’ ter rent Andrew Thom- in Barnum’s | as’s-balin, an’ dat’s whut makes me say er nickel ter come in, ’ste’d of great show), Jer free do’, An’ a'ter a whole passel er fokes come dar, an’ I wus busy And though it is) at de side-table sellin’ candy an’ o’nges, an’ William —dat’s my boy, oear net as all on ye knows—wus marchin’ wid de gals, an’ we coulden’ be in queer, | 40 places at once, yere come Brer George an’ Neely Barker wid him They were bora ‘sted er is own wife, an he come up ter me an’ say, he did, ‘Sis’ Isabel, in Ohio, you OU Way is paid ef you doan’ git de money.’ An’ I tought he wus know. _|J€s’ foolin’ an’ say, ‘Well, Trecken dat won't neider make ner break me.’ An’ he say, ‘I knowed you wuser lady. I tole Neely ‘twould ve seen a young be all right.’ An’ den [ax ‘im what did he mean, an’ he say, des like countryman | he wus lyin’, ‘I had er dime ‘tween my thumb an’ finger ter pay at de stupidly ga7-| do’, an dey wa'n’t nobody dar, an’ I los’ it down 'mongst dem ‘backer im stalks you oughter moved way, an’ you'll fine it dar in de mornin’.” in town with an air that is) aa ——— raw, HE SAW THE POINT. With his hand on his head, which is frowsy and red, And a general drop of the jaw. d of his st ha conscious grin on his bare little chin That would flatter a lunati But [ never saw anythimg more idiotic, 1, I must declare, ing grimace onthe Of—a man in a barber's chair! BOTH SIDES OF THE SHIELD. There was trouble betwixt Sis’ Isabel Oldham and Brer George GETTING OUT OF IT, her the other day MR. Surtor (with righteous indignation)— What a brute!” “Yes, that’s what I think Vhy, he ought Why, I was thinking of her.” Mk. Surtor—Oh, ah, yes; of course.” And at last he caught on.” An’ den I tole ‘im he couldn’ fool me wid no such tale as dat; he never had no dime, an’ ef he didn’ pay a’ ter git out. An’ den he say I done made him an’ Neely welcome. An’ I say he’s er lier to de back- bone. And den he called me out er my name, an’ I took an’ jumped ober dat table an’ we clinched an’ an’ I tole ‘em ‘bout stealin’ ole master’s pig an’ how he crossed his legs every time he maached—an’ deacon in de chu’ch, too—an’, any he had no dime. An’ den dey took an’ pulled us off. An I say he ain't fit ter hab ‘roun’ de elements, an’ I'm not gwine ter take sacherment while he does.” Brer George, in rebuttal: ‘I went to Sis’ Isabel's fesservil jes’ out of pyore charity, ‘cause I lowed dar would be such a few dar; an’ if she say I didn’ have money, didn’ drap it in stalks fm her fault, she ain't no part of er chicken. S'pose she didn’ fine it when she look nex’ mornin’? Dar wus a many dar dat night ter pick it up, an’ de bigges’ NEAR-SIGHTED MAMMA (tcho has given Charlie a little surprise-party at sort er rat-hole right under de aidge of dem barn-logs. ‘Sides, any eollege)— Ant who is the gentleman over the mantel?” woman what had de sense she was borned wid wouldn’ try ter hab no Cuaru (rith a ray of hope)-—* That's B-b-brown, captain of our nit | fesservil widout er flo’ ter hab it on. Yes; she did jump on me an’ try Mawa—" Fine, athletic looking fellow, but slightly er—heavy for a|ter claw me, an’ dat big William stan‘in’ dar wid his mouf like a fi runner, I should say.” trap, but I never tocht her ter hurt, des hilt her han’s an’ set her down