Judge, 1902-12-20 · page 31 of 52
Judge — December 20, 1902 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several interconnected Christmas-themed jokes satirizing early 20th-century gender dynamics and social conventions. **"The Solution"** mocks the mistletoe tradition, suggesting women historically needed no excuse for kissing—the plant is merely modern convenience. **"The Usual Result"** jokes that when a woman plays piano at a Christmas party, she inevitably becomes the center of gossip. **"A Case for Sympathy"** uses classical mythology (Scaevola, Porsenna) as setup for a punchline about nagging wives—a man enduring torture finds the captor sympathetic upon hearing his wife makes him cook his own eggs, inverting expected gender roles comedically. **"Saved"** references the three Fates (Clotho, Atropos) to joke darkly about a mortal climbing a Christmas tree in an automobile (likely referencing early 1900s auto dangers)—he's "saved" by feminine intervention when one Fate bites rather than cuts his thread. The bottom panel appears to address relationship vanity among college-aged women concerned with photographs. The satire consistently targets changing gender relations and modern behaviors through classical/mythological frameworks.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Te At Christinas season did for ki THE SOLUTION. EFORE they used the mistletwe As license for the sweets, you know, What think you, pray, that men and ses ‘The records of the past, no doubt, Would prove they got along with. out. Without the kisses? No. n I me: . without the mistletoe. THE USUAL RESULT. Faggles— playing at the Chrisumas party create much comment ?" Waggles— 1 should say it did, As soon as she bega set them all talking.” did her piaao A CASE FOR SYMPATHY. SCEVOLA, led prisoner be- fore Porsenna, held his hand over her Christmas-pres- ent lamp until it burned off. + But why,” asked his cap- tors, * did you do it :” ‘0 show,” he haughtily replied, that I do not shrink from torture. My wife makes me open my own soft-boiled eggs for breakfast.” Thereupon the Etruscan, sympathizing, set him free. SAVED. CLOTHO was employed in spinning the thread of destiny when word was brought that a mortal had climbed a Christmas-tree in his auto. + Of course,” she remark- ed, “he mustdie. His thread has been cu “No,” returned Atropos, “it wasn’t cut ; [bit it.” Thus once again was mere man saved by the eternal fem- inine. Wire, of Yare—"‘ Ethel, of Wellesley. is making a big kick be- cause her last negative makes her look so ugly.”” CHaRLey, oF Princeton—"' Well, that's just like her."* Pengeren BtantAws VERY SIMILAR. A POSSIBILITY. OUR OREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN —"* Hey dere, Sandy Claus! Come up wid de goods."* comicbooks.com