Judge, 1887-12 · page 36 of 45
Judge — December 1887 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Christmas-themed page contains three distinct pieces of social satire: **"Holly Berries"** (poem, left): A sentimental meditation on memory and loss, contrasting a wealthy man's indulgent Christmas with a poor boy's suffering. The moral message—that the poor boy will ultimately "beat" the selfish rich man—reflects Victorian concern for class inequality. **"He Was Dumb as an Oyster"** (center): A brief joke where Miss Sevier, tired of salesmen's flattery about her hands, sarcastically tells one to stop talking ("Nero" reference unclear). The humor targets obsequious retail behavior. **"Stupid Question"** (bottom): A domestic comedy where a husband asks his wife what she was "trying to sing" after she performed selections from *Faust*—implying her performance was so poor it was unrecognizable. This mocks both amateur domestic performances and husbandly tactlessness. All three pieces use humor and sentiment to satirize social manners and class attitudes of the period.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHRISTMAS JUDGEH HOLLY BERRIES. TOO TRUE. A selfish old wretch is he who, happy over his wine and bird, A cluster of holly berries forgets the boy who has nothing but rags on his back and empti- Red as her own sweet lips, in his stomach. ‘There may be other Christmases for him, (And I hear the joy-bells chiming but in the long run of life the boy will beat him. The song of the Christmas cheer ) Life hath its cheat i fer that b that drowns Yet some th Ah, true for ‘That lighted our sweet lost youth Courage, and hope. and passion, And faith that could pledge till death 5 The joy of the dreams That were one with I bre But the scarlet berries are faded, And the Christmas bells ring low ; I sce a field and a pathway White, in their frozen snow, And the sunset’s last faint flushes, Die, under a brightening star, Am [ late? Oh, the whole world hushes With my listening heart, ... But she & ‘There, by the holly bushes, My darling, that loved m My little maid, in her scarlet And snowy kerchief folded down, Over a bosom all pure within, My Christmas love, of the long ago. A cluster of scarlet berries, It passed from her hand to mie ! Ihave nothing else to remind me, And yet, I shall not forget, Till L come to that last of ferri Where the grim old ferryma And the thread of the grudging Fates ased forever to bind me! And if it should be at Christmas I shall smile, as I journey o'er I shall watch for her warm, Her eyes’ fond, sweet besecching, HE WAS DUMB AS AN OYSTER. And her little hand, out ‘ oR aay Miss SEVIER (who is tired of the attentions of the average salesman. —“V'd like on t some gloves, and as T know already that Tha y That grow on that heavenly shore! pretty hand you willoblige me by saying nothing about it. Charge M.S. Bridges. down, Nero!” With a cluster of Christmas berries, az SH SS STUPID QUESTION. HuswANn (0 Ais wife, who has just been entertaining her guest with a few vocal selections from Fausty—* What was that you were trying to sing, dearest ?”” comicbooks.com