Judge, 1888-12 · page 6 of 51
Judge — December 1888 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct pieces: **"John and Percilly"** is a sentimental dialect poem by James Whitcomb Riley about a rural church Christmas pageant. Two young people (the narrator and Claircy) rehearse together playing characters from Longfellow's "Evangeline," and their on-stage "sparking" (flirtation) becomes genuine romance. The charm lies in the folksy language and innocent courtship within a wholesome community setting—typical of Riley's popular rural Americana verse of the era. **"They Met by Chance"** is a brief society satire below, mocking class anxiety. A wealthy woman boasts she encountered her butcher (working-class) at an upper-class gathering. The joke is mutual embarrassment: she hid behind a statue to avoid acknowledging him, while he similarly avoided noticing her—both desperate to maintain social pretense that their classes don't actually mix in "polite society." Both pieces reflect *Judge* magazine's mix of sentimental Americana and gentle social commentary on American class distinctions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHRISTMAS JUDGE JOHN AND We got up a church-doin's Last Christmas eve— Kind o' di *At I railly belie Give more satisfaction, Take it up and down, Than any show er intertainment Ever come to town, Railly was a ¢heater— ‘That's what it was! But bein’ in the church, you know, We had a" Santy Claus "— So's to git the old folks To patternize, you see, And back up the institution Kind o' morally. Schoolteacher writ the thing— (Was a friend o” mine) Got it out 0° Longfeller’s Pome “* Evangeline,” Er som’ers, ‘bout the Puritans— Anyway, the part John Alden {ell to me— And had it all by heart. Claircy was Percilly, (Schoolteacher ‘lowed Me and her could act them two Best of all the crowd)— Then blame ef he didn’t Git her Pap, 'y jing! To take the part 6° Santy Claus To wind up the thing! Law! the fun o' practisun! Was a week er two Me and Claircy di Nothin’ Kep’ us jes’ a-meetin’ round, Kind o' here and there, Ever’ night, rehearsin’ like, And gaddin’ everwhere! Saar aN few ce Py SSSR) SN SAARANANN no x = ARN = os ze PERCILLY. Game was wuth the candle, though. Christmas eve, at last, Rolled around—and ‘tendance jes’ Couldn't be su‘passed— Neighbors from the country Come from Clay and Rush— Yes, and ‘crost the country-line, Clean from Puckerbrush, You see, the way the play run, Me a-actin’ John, And Claircy, inind! Percitly Ther was sparkin’ goin’ on! Played it all so natchurul, And it tuck so well, Even old man Santy Claus Had to stomp and yell! So by time Ais turn come Fer to take the floor, It was nearly twelve o’clock— cks a leetle more!” That's what I whispered To Claircy, and she said Somepin’ in a whisper back, ‘And laughed and shuck her head. Meetin'-house jes’ trimbled As Old Santy went Round amongst the children, With ther pepperment And sassafrac and wintergreen Candy, ‘and a ball O' popcorn,” the preacher ‘nounced, “Free fer each and all.” Schoolteacher suddently Whispered in my ear, “Guess I got you!—Christmas gift! Christmas is here! I give him a gold pen ‘And case to hold the thing— And Claircy whispered " Christmas gift!" And I give her a ring. nd now," I say *Christmas-gifts,’” says I * Z'm a-goin’ to git one— Santy's comin’ by!” Then I rech and grabbed him; And, as you'll infer, ‘Course I got the old man’s, And Ae gimme her! JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY. THEY MET BY CHANCE. Society is getting awfully mixed. Why, I met my butcher at Mrs. Du Pont's sociable.” The deuce! Of course you didn’t notice him?” Brat—"No. I hid behind a statue of Venus. Fortunately he didn't notice me either.” comicbooks.com