Judge, 1899-12-23 · page 40 of 46
Judge — December 23, 1899 — page 40: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple Christmas-themed satirical pieces: **"On Christmas Eve"** is a sentimental poem about aging—a father reflecting on how his grown daughter no longer hangs stockings but now leaves out slippers for gifts. The satire gently mocks how children mature and tastes change, with the father nostalgic for the simpler days of dolls and candy. **The two top comic panels** appear to depict working-class or poor families during Christmas, with dialect-heavy speech suggesting ethnic caricature (common in period Judge humor). The humor focuses on the financial strain of providing Christmas for children. **"The Week Before Christmas"** contrasts two characters debating what *not* to buy children—satirizing both the commercialization of Christmas and parental overwhelm. **The shop window illustration** shows crowds of Christmas shoppers at a toy store, likely satirizing consumer frenzy. **"Apropos" and "Her Intention"** are brief comic anecdotes about gift-giving awkwardness—one about a stuttering storekeeper, another about a woman giving her boyfriend nothing. Overall, the page satirizes Christmas commercialism, family dynamics, and economic anxiety surrounding holiday gift-giving.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘* Now look heah. Ebe; dese pooh little debils am cryin aroun’ heah, a-wor- rin’ de life out ob me foh a Christmas-tree. phin’ foh um.” ON CHRISTMAS EVE. HE used to hang her stockings, Before she went to bed ‘They dangled in the firelight, So long and limp and red. * Awaiting till, mesterious, Across the nursery floor I came, on tip-toe stealing, ‘The saint's ambassador. I came with dolls and candy— What change the winters bring* She sets me now her slipper, ‘A smaller, sightlier thing. Her dainty lady-slipper. ‘The cunning little minx 1 fill it full of gold-dust, ‘That's better far, she thinks. She leaves it by And little the hearth-s jreams that I. sid Perverse and graceless dotard— Regard it with a sigh. I'm longing for the stockin; I'd give—oh, twice the RS. gold, To buy the dolls and candy For Christmas, as of old ' CATHERINE YOUNG GLEN, 1, T reckon yo'll haf ter rig up sum- dat.” COmYmaNT 1899 By JUOGE COMPARY OF NEW ORR. Newiywep—"' I sy Ovetimzn—‘' Well, Eety THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, the all-absorbing question with ‘now is what to get the children for Christmas?” ! ‘Abiae you've bad eight. of thee, like me, you'll find the all-absorbing 2. “*Dah, Liz; I raked up yo' old red umbrel. I guess I kin fix um right wid APROPOS. APPROPRIATE to certain people who receive Christ- mas gifts the story is told of a stuttering old gentleman who kept a small store. He went forth one day to collect some bills, and was presented by one of those who owed him with a bill greater in amount than his own. The old gentleman looked at it for a moment, then handed it back, “C-c-can’t fix it,” he said; “I'm d-d-doing a s-strictly c-c-collection b-business t-t-to- day.” HER INTENTION. Gladys Beautigirl— What do you intend to give Mr. Slow- come for Christmas ?” Dolly Swift—"h dint.” ‘Sackett WihelnsLitho & Pg (o.Rew York. ng question is what not to get the children for Christmas.” comicbooks.com