Judge, 1894-07-14 · page 6 of 16
Judge — July 14, 1894 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of late 19th-century American humor: 1. **"The Understudy Spoiled"** (top): A theatrical joke where an understudy actress, playing a romantic scene, nearly falls—prompting the male lead to catch her. The stage manager's aside reveals the irony: he must cue the understudy's entrance using the same lines despite this unscripted near-accident. 2. **"Her Last Request"** (center): A romantic country-vacation story where a man named Merritt must return to town. His companion Madge claims heartbreak, but her "request" to send his coworker De Garry to replace him reveals she's indifferent to his departure—a sardonic commentary on romantic declarations and female fickleness. 3. **"Justifiable"** and **"Forty Love"** (bottom): Brief joke snippets. The first involves a prisoner defending assault by noting his attacker called him "worse than a New York police-captain." The second references Edmund Yates reporting a Yale-Harvard race. The humor targets theatrical pretense, romantic sentimentality, and contemporary figures/institutions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE UNDERSTUDY SPOILED THE s “* Ves, she isa glorious creature, Arthur, Was it not Providence’s interposition, when she lost her footing from the crag, that I was beneath tu catch her? Woman-hater though I'am, when | enfolded that petite, lissome form in these arms I could not— But, as I live, she— she approaches, (dside.) The luck! ‘The stage-manager must be jagged ter ring in haf understudy without changin’ me lines.” Bertrand Deverearx (the artist-here HER LAST REQUEST. FORTY LOVE; OR, THE FATE OF THE I'm going back to town to-morrow.” PEP UE Madge —* Well, one can’t live in the country all the time; besides, your vacation has been nearly twice as long as you intended.” Merritt — Oh, Madge! is this the way you receive what I have to tell you? After all your vows, after all the happy hours we have spent together in the last month, I thought it would break your heart to have me go away. I kept putting it off from day to day, and now you receive it as if it were a trifle.” Madge —" Don't go on in that way, Mr. Merritt. You are unjust to me, I have had a lovely time with you. Only for you my stay here would have been a blank.” Merritt—" Then you care for no one else?” Madge —" How could 1? There is no one else here to love. I, too, have been thinking of the time when you would have to go away, and I've thought of how you could save me from pining away in this wilderness.” . Merritt —" Nh, 1 see you still care for me after all, Tell me how I can befriend you.” Madge —" You remember your fellow-clerk—the one you have spoken to me so much about ?” Merritt "De Gar- ry?" Madge—" Yes. You told me he would take his vacation as soon as you got back.” Merritt Yes.” Madge —" Well, you have spoken so nobly of him all through, I want to do something I know will please you.” Merritt — W Wat's that 2” Madge—"As you must go back send him up here to take your place.” EDMUND YATES re- ported a Yale-Harvard race for the Herald while JUSTIFIABLE, inthis country, “ What do Junce—" Why did you ascault the man you require?” asked Mr. Prisoner—"* He called me a bad name, . Rennett. “A few facts and JubGr—* What did he call you?" * - Puiso: Well, yer honor, he said I was worse than a New — alittle brandy-and- water, Yorke police-captain, an’' nailed ‘im.” said Edmund modestly. comicbooks.com