Judge, 1896-12-19 · page 12 of 46
Judge — December 19, 1896 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a Christmas-themed satirical page from *Judge* magazine featuring multiple brief comedic sketches about holiday gift-giving and family situations. The top illustration shows an old woman determined to learn bicycle-riding, mocking the absurdity of learning something with no practical intent to use it—a commentary on pointless self-improvement. The text sections provide short, punny jokes: one celebrates a woman giving "triplets" as a Christmas present (surprising her husband); another jokes about boys getting into pies during Christmas; and a longer essay satirizes Christmas gift-giving itself as an economically wasteful "institution" where people exchange unwanted items of roughly equal value to avoid obligation—essentially a social formality masquerading as generosity. The "Kindred Solicitude" sketch depicts an uncle sleep-talking about gambling while his aunt congratulates herself on his affection, satirizing self-deception about family relationships. The bottom illustration references "bloomers" (women's athletic wear), suggesting Santa is shocked by changing women's fashion—likely poking fun at Victorian anxieties about evolving gender norms.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PLEASURES OF “ LEARNING.” Otp sain (determinedly)—" I'm going to be ‘aught bike-riding even if I never ride afterward.” A GRAND SUCCESS. 6] F A Christmas present is to be judged by the clement of surprise it contains, Mrs. Hunker's gilt to her husband was a grand success.” * What did she present him with?” * Triplets.” ALL FOR THE BEST. J7°S well that Christmas does not linger, Bot, like all pleasure, passes by ; For then the small boy has his finger, As we weil know, in every pie. LOTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. ++ JAS she given you any encouragement?” “Encouragement? I should say she had. She made me promise not to give her any but a useful present on Christmas.” KINDRED SOLICITUDE. Jouxsy Ports (in Ais sleep)—"'Ante! Ante up, there ‘Aust Eppa Karim (lovingh)—"* Yes, nephew; I'm up. (Aside) Haow much thet dear younker dew think of his old aunty ! CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. AX INSTITUTION founded for the purpose of affording the man with a red taste in neckties and him of the fondness for cheroots an opportunity of forcing their ideas upon one another, to the evident detri- ment of social economy. A sort of lottery, in which each chooses as a victim of his beneficence one whom he considers sufficiently innocent of worldly guile to reciprocate handsomely. Fre- quently it is a convenient means of disposing of unlucky purchases to good advantage. Gener- ally speaking, however, it is an interchange of commodities bereft of their price-tags. The secret of making Christmas presents judicious- ly, if you be a man of Christian intents, is to oy ee . : measure the value of your gift as nearly as dt ai ae ie x possible to that of the expected donation of TOR Phe your friend. Then there will be no burden of <= obligation on either side, and neither will be a benefactor of the other. In which case you will continue as close friends as if nothing had SANTA CLAUS (paralysed) —"* Great heavens ! the girls have hung up their bloomers.” happened. comicbooks.com