Judge, 1895-12-07 · page 40 of 48
Judge — December 7, 1895 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several satirical pieces typical of turn-of-the-century American humor: **"Bal Masque"** is a poem by Henry Tyrrell contrasting carefree masquerade balls of youth with life's masks in adulthood—a philosophical meditation on society's artificiality and hypocrisy. **"Force of Habit"** satirizes working-class characters (depicted with ethnic dialect) who perpetually wish to be wealthy, suggesting desire for wealth is constant rather than holiday-specific. **"The Christmas Dinner"** offers humorous etiquette advice for holiday dining—joking about overeating, managing difficult relatives, and social pretense around food. **"A Practical View"** shows a child rejecting the "cherub" identity his mother wants, logically noting cherubs can't hang stockings—innocent humor about childhood pragmatism versus parental sentimentality. The illustrations include a masked ball scene, playing cards, and "The Pussykins' Swing" (a whimsical animal drawing). Overall, the page mixes holiday satire with social commentary on class, hypocrisy, and domestic life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
BAL MASQUE. OW oft did I, in careless days of yore, Plunge in the whirl of some mad m And one more fool amidst the folly made, In blithe abandon on the waxen floor. Oh, there were mimic characters ga! The king at courtship with the begs St. Anthony by sirens undismayed, Counterfeit Wisdom, Youth and Age, and more, For such distractions now have I-no heart Yet in the rout of life I still discern ‘Those self-same images where'er T turn Each man is masked, each woman plays a part Before the world—and ‘midst the mirth of these U hear the laugh of Mephistopheles. FORCE OF HABIT. —" | never see Chris'mus cum round,Willie, but [wishes 1 wuz rich. Weary Welliam—* Dat's strange.” Dewey Eave—" Oh, 1 dunno. [wishes de same ving every other day in de year too.” ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Oscar F.—There are occasions when a solitaire diamond would not be the proper thing. THE CHRISTMAS DINNER. HE dog doesn’t eat cranberries. Country cousins have turkey at home. The guest who has no choice must take the walking-beam of a drumstick. As the cook will expect her dinner to materialize let her get it for once in the neck. Rich relations will show forgiveness in their will for anything except dyspepsia. Don’t overload their plates. If you have any literary friends present remember that— well, that you can’t roast a turkey in a chafing-dish, A PRACTICAL VIEW. Fond mother — Come, now, like a cherub, ana let mamma put you to bed.” Tommy—" 1 ain't a cherub, and I ain't goin’ to be.” Fond mother (shocked)—* Why, Tommy !* Tommy (stoutly)—" Well, I ain't, ‘cause cherubs can’t hang up their stockin’s on Christmas.” comicbooks.com