Judge, 1888-10-27 · page 10 of 18
Judge — October 27, 1888 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several distinct pieces of satirical content: **"A Ballade of the Modern Novel"** (top left) mocks contemporary fiction for excessive melodrama—overwrought passion, theatrical characters, and scandalous confessions. The satire asks writers to produce something worthy of praise rather than sensational drivel. **"Reflections of a Cat"** presents humorous observations from a feline perspective, including complaints about old maids, rats, and humans' inconsiderate behavior—lighthearted domestic humor rather than political satire. **Three moral fables** occupy the right side: "The Rogues and the Dog" warns against trusting smooth-talking deceivers; "Getting Ahead of the Mule" shows a man using reverse psychology on a stubborn animal; and "His First Hunt in the Antipodes" depicts hunting mishaps. These employ ethnic dialect and slapstick humor typical of the era's comedy conventions. The page emphasizes Judge's mix of literary criticism and illustrated humor aimed at middle-class readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
42 A BALLADE OF THE MODERN PROFUSION of passionate thrills ‘And an ardor drawn out to excess, A succession of fanciful ills Such as lovers find hard to suppress: There’s a someting fantastic in dress. And the actors strange notions betray There's no sin that one dare not confess In the novel that's written to-day. NOVEL. You must notice the al maid in distress. wealth of fine words that distills All the flowers of speech, more of less, She sweeps on like a rapt poetess, ‘Then she falls with much tragic display At his feet with praiseworthy finesse, In the novel that’s written today, fervor that fills Then in turn with a language that thrills With a warmth only lovers can guess, He declares that her coldness quite chills His exuberant love: then a tress Of her hair mzkes him mad: a caress Drives him wild, and a kiss, by the way. Doth occasion no end of a mess In the novel that’s written today. Enven. © ye scribbiers, pray will you digress From the super-fantastical stray? Give us something to boast of and bless In the novel that s written to-day. REFLECTIONS OF A CAT. The nivest bed is a pan of rising b ‘The old maid is the cat's good sama If it wasn’t for the rat | would be an outcast I think I have a pretty nose when it isn’t scratched, ‘The oven was about the hottest place [ was hings the girl breaks, rience I never yet saw a cat hit with a bootjack. Every cat that gets on our back fence doesn’t come to see me. When people go to sit down they never see | amv asleep in the chair. When I can’t get the ribbon off my neck I try to drag it in the dirt If 1 hadn't talons the small boy would find no fun in pulling my tail. ‘The sailor is the only one who would sooner have a rat than a cat around. rit ‘The missis and I can never agree as to the place where 1 shall bring up'my kittens Missis used to leave me only one kitten until after she had twins her- self, and then she left me two HIS FIRST HUNT Lorp Huainur (fo Ais dog)—" There's something about that wabbit that T don't exactly like, Lion, JUDGE =— 2 L AMERICAN H WORKSHOP TTH MANUFACTORY § MANUFACT. eo ma THE ROGUES DOG. T™ ‘0 Scheming Rogues tried their to get into a house with Evil fe igns in view. ‘They offered the Usual Allurements of speech to a Faithful Dog that Guarded the House from such Intru- ders, AND THE Finding it impos- sible to deceive the Dog, which was no fool of an Animal, they threw it a Oho! said the Dog: “1 had Doubts as to Base Designs, but know you are Two Rogues. Moral—Wt is Good Idea not to believe in the Foolishness of « man because he is Patient and Un- suspecting. Sop. my your now | AHEAD. OF THE yi. yidar, Brer Johnsing! wha’ fo’ you got dat ar ole mule ob yours hitched back’ards in de wagon ?” “ Dat animile, sah, am de stubbornest critter in de whole "I'm jes’ teachin’ him a lesson, De more he backs now, why de furder I gets ahead, MULE. county IN THE ANTIPODES. comicbooks.com