Judge, 1898-05-21 · page 3 of 16
Judge — May 21, 1898 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Content Analysis This page contains two separate satirical pieces from *Judge* magazine: **"An Invaluable Officer"** (top) depicts police corruption, showing officers sleeping on duty while criminals operate in their precinct—a common reform-era criticism of urban police forces. **"The Linguist at the Play"** (middle/bottom) mocks a theater-goer who pedantically corrects Mrs. Malapropl's malapropisms (deliberate misuse of words for comic effect) during a performance. The swain interrupts the show to lecture her on proper English, appearing foolish in his inability to recognize she's intentionally misusing language for theatrical effect. The series of illustrated panels shows his increasingly pompous behavior. **"His Deficiency Didn't Debar Him"** (bottom) appears to show military/recruitment humor, though specific details are unclear without additional context. The satire targets social pretension and humorless pedantry.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A AN INVALUABLE OFFICER. FIRST BURGLAR got all de people in de neighborhood woke up.” * Come on, Bill ; ‘tain’t no use tryin’ ter crack no cribs ter-night in this vicinity. That cop asleep on that corner ‘s snorin’ so loud he’s THE LINGUIST AT THE PLAY. QE evening at “The Rivals” I sat behind a pair of country lovers. The swain explained to his love all that the obscurity of Sheridan and_the incompetency of Jefferson and Mrs. Drew left unelucidated. It is the peculiarity of lovers that they are the only ones to whom the world is an open book, and they explain it to each other, and seem to derive en- joyment from its occultness. When the play was half over the lovers learned that Mrs. Malaprop was sometimes mistaken in the choice of words, and that this formed part of the humor of the play which they were there to en- joy. Thereafter whenever Mrs, Malaprop used an inappropriate Poof man. what can you do?” * Just that !" Ml. I, Recrurrine oFFicer—" You want to enlist? Why, my IV. “And that.” word the swain, with an explosion of mirth and intelligence, called out the proper word, and after he had become intoxicated with his success he called out the words so loudly that people within hailing distance never afterwards missed a point. He kept his eyes trained on Mrs. Malaprop, and not an error escaped him. It was indeed a marvel to note the consecutive feats of his mind. “T feel,” said the actress, perfectly—perfectly analyzed.” &> : The youth oq 5 was aavereal for only a mo- ment; then, giv- ing his love such a nudge as only true affection could condone, he cried out, “She means paralyzed! She means perfectly paralyzed !” It is indeed true that mental pleasures are the keenest. WILLISTON FISH, V. ‘And the enemy is ours.” HIS DEFICIENCY DIDN’T DEBAR HIM. comicbooks.com