Judge, 1895-12-21 · page 4 of 16
Judge — December 21, 1895 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This satirical page from Judge magazine contains several social commentary pieces: **"Will We?"** mocks the fashion trend of women performing skirt-dances in bloomers (ankle-length trousers), questioning whether audiences will pay premium prices for such performances. **"One Fiend Less"** is a dark joke celebrating the death of a photographer who obsessively documented life with a kodak camera—portrayed as a nuisance eliminated. **"The Cure"** satirizes female vanity and literary ambition. A would-be author celebrates seeing her portrait and biography in a newspaper, expecting social elevation. When the print quality ruins her appearance, her pride collapses. The message: print publication as a cure for feminine "large head" (arrogance). **"Ophelia Under Real Difficulties"** jokes about a stage actress performing Shakespeare in bicycle clothing because her costumes were seized for debt—she owes money for a bouquet she demanded for her previous performance. The humor targets women's vanity, fashion follies, and financial irresponsibility while celebrating male skepticism toward female pretensions. The racist caricature in "A Poker Term" reflects period attitudes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WILL WE? E WONDER it lovely woman thinks that we will ever pay two dollars and a half for an orchestra chair to see a skirt-dance done in bloomers? ONE FIEND LESS. E HAD a little kodak, And took things from spring to spring ; At last he took the measles, Never took another thing. FORETHOUGHT. Mrs. Vansock (to visiting guest) —“ Won't you stay to dinner to- night? I bought a pair of splendid canvas-back ducks because Ferdinand has gone hunting, and he always likes to have a game dinner when he comes back from a shoot- ” ing trip.” A POKER TERM, A tray full on fives. Photo. by Chickering. JUDGE'S FAVORIT! MISS JENNIE YEAMANS IN “THE Demure and arch you seem— Now, who would ever dream You were a storm of fun, And 3 eycione, rolled in one? Yes! by your eye, we might— If'so, we'd dream just right, THE CURE. ONCE 2 beautiful dame, whose principal aim Was to win by her pen a most notable name, Was convinced she was nearing this summit of fame, ‘Twas a newspaper chief who begot this belief, For he sued for her picture to print on his leaf, With a sketch of her life and her virtues in brief. All inflated with pride, then our blue-stocking cried ‘That this was an honor for which she had sighed ; An bonor for which she would gladly have died. And she held her head high when her neighbors passed by, For she reasoned, * They're not as distinguished as I. How they'll envy me when I'm in print by-and-by !* Now it happened they jeered when the picture appeared, For the paper was thin and the printer's ink smeared, And somehow the likeness seemed horribly ** queered.” She was filled with affright at the hideous sight In which all her beauty had suffered a blight, And her vanity perished in less than a night. Since that time she has said that a cure for "large head” Is its picture in print; for when you have read Your name underneath it you wish you were dead. YRANCES ISARL CUNRIE. AS IT SEEMED TO HER, “What are you crying for, my little lamb?” g LAMB— "' I ain't got no mamma no more—just two papas !” OPHELIA UNDER REAL DIFFICULTIES. STAGE-DiREctOR —"* Ladies an’ gents, you'll have to excuse Ophelia for appearing in her bicycle rig to-night, but the rest of ber wardrobe has been attached for the price of the bouquet that she insisted upon having presented to her last evening.” comicbooks.com