Judge, 1899-03-25 · page 7 of 18
Judge — March 25, 1899 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century humor: **"Fellow Feeling"**: A cynical passenger expounds on life's meaninglessness—a common fin-de-siècle pessimism trope. The joke relies on the absurd punchline that a dyspeptic stranger agrees, reducing profound nihilism to mere indigestion. This mocks both fashionable despair and the mundane reality of everyday ailments. **"The Wisdom of Age"**: A brief philosophical quip comparing men to frosted windows—less transparent with age—satirizing inevitable decline. **"Not Till After Lent"**: A woman refuses to sing because the song contains "meat" (likely a romantic/suggestive meaning), claiming she cannot use "meat in any form till after Lent." She'll only play scales—a double entendre joke about religious observance conflicting with romantic enjoyment. This mocks strict religious observance and Victorian propriety around courtship. The page combines linguistic wordplay, social commentary on pessimism and religiosity, and the genteel humor typical of Judge's audience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
| FELLOW FEELING. “Life is a failure,” said the tired-looking pas- senger in a gray and far-away voice. “Man is a fraud, woman a bore, happiness a delusion, friend- ship a humbug; love is a disease, beauty is tion, marriage is a mistake, a wile is a is a nuisance; good is merely hypocrisy. evil is detection. The whole system of existence—life, morality, society, humanity, and all that—is a hollow sham. Our boasted wisdom is egotism: generosity is imbe- cility. There is nothing of any importance but money. Mone} everything; and, after all, what is everything? Nothing. Ar-r-r-r “Glad to meet you, sir,” said a lanky little man with ginger-hued whiskers, extending his hand cordially. “I have the dyspepsia pretty bad at times, myself.” A PLAIN reflection in the glass has waved back many a tempta- tion. Rewitching girl of Lifndudno, Vatradgyalais, or Cwmammagwdo, Would a love-le fely go. To your address? These names are music— Yet one precaution I must take To speak them not, when my heartache T shall confess, A REGULAR “ HONEY BOY." THE WISDOM OF AGE. Sporty Jack—"" Bah Jove, Eph! what's the mattah, with you?” 3 . . 5 ‘ So eden (once a ave met the encay)—"* What's the matter with me? A MAN may be likened unto a window—he is not so easily seen Oh, I'm fixed up regardless.” through after the frost comes upon him. NOT TILL AFTER LENT, May—"' Oh, Ethel! sing that beautiful song, * When again we meet.” Eritei—"T can't. I mustn't use meat in any form till after Lent. All T can play now are the scales.” comicbooks.com