Judge, 1891-02-21 · page 5 of 16
Judge — February 21, 1891 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Judge magazine contains brief comedic vignettes and visual gags typical of turn-of-the-century American humor. Most items mock social pretensions and marital discord. **Key content:** - "A Matter of Wonder" presents ironic commentary on George Washington's famous honesty, suggesting even virtuous figures might question the lies told *about* them. - Multiple jokes center on marriage conflicts—wives and husbands blaming each other for marital failure, wives changing appearance (the jaundice explanation for hair color change), and romantic deception (the "decoy duck" where Miss Ransom manipulates Jack Dorning). - "What Men Will Fight Over" satirizes masculine vanity: two men quarrel over whose wife is at fault, then fight—the absurdity being that men will battle over trivial relationship matters. - Three cartoon panels labeled "Progressive Evolution" show the progression of a drunk ("Jag," "Jig," "Jug"), using grammatical terms as visual puns. The humor relies on period-specific social anxieties about marriage, gender relations, and respectability.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A CHICAGO ECHO. *T tell you, me boy, she’s a high-stepper.” Dick —"* Must be from New’ York then, Always eard it was muddy there.” CONSOLATION. He—“Was Raynor converted at the revival She No; he’s so hardened. I'm afraid he wi lose his soul.” He—*Oh, don’t bother. He'll never miss it.” AN OPPORTUNITY TO EMBRACE. BLESS me! mine’s a happy fate (Soon we'll need the preacher); ‘As she knows not how to skate, 1, of course, must teach her. NOT NATURAL FOR HIM, McCorkle —" Did Winebiddle die a natural death ?” McCrackle—" How should I know? I never saw him die before Nominative—Jag. JUDGE THE noble name of Washington I've often read in history, And more than-once have I begun The story of the cherry-tree. 349 A MATTER OF WONDER. He would not turn from paths of right, He tried to pass deception by, And so I read with great delight His words, ‘*I cannot tell a lie.” But, ah! I have been thinking that Since in the band of seraphim He often must have wondered at The lies that have been told of Aim. NATHAN Mt. LEVY THE UNADORNED FACTS. ++ NOW tell us the naked truth.” said Mr. Fosdick to his young son who was under examination for a boyish escapade. “Yes,” added Mrs. Fosdick, who was a graduate of Vassar; “we want only the unclothed veracity.” WHAT MEN WILL FIGHT OVER. First man—" Your wife and my wife don’t seem to get on very well together.” Second man First man—“It's nothing of the sort, sir. blame.” And after a few more angry * Well, it’s undoubtedly my wife’s fault.” My wife is entirely to words they came to blows. A WOULD -BE PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION. Kate: Why, Maud, how you have changed! When I saw you three years ago your hair was auburn, and now it is as yellow as gold. So pretty!” Maud —" Yes, Katie; you know last year I was ill for a long time with the jaundice.” THE COMMITTEE REPORTS AFTER MANY DAYS. She —" Marriage isn't a failure.” He— No on the bank.” it’s only a run THE PARROT. F TONGUES there's none Can make you pall; You speak in one But swear in all. AS TO ARMS. Ethel — have yard arm George —"1 do, Ethel.” Ethel—" ow perfectly lovely !” corge, do ships believe they A KNOCKED-OUT RIVAL. Miss BLossom—"* Whar in d’ world ‘s yo" been since Chris'mus, Miss Pettigrew?” Miss Perricre: I done got ‘xploded at d’ pahty.” Miss Brossost ? Miss Perric a-as, Dat low-down Peters gal gub me a chew ob gum, an‘ when I bit on to it I foun’ hit wuz a torpeeto.”” A DECOY DUCK. She—" So Jack Dorning was he ever manage to win her?” He—"Oh, Miss Ransom managed it for him, married to that beautiful Miss Hatton to-day. How did She engaged herself to Jack and then set him to flirting with Miss Hatton after the announcement.’ PROGRESSIVE EVOLUTION. Possessive—Jig. Objective—Jug. comicbooks.com