Judge, 1903-05-09 · page 6 of 16
Judge — May 9, 1903 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This early 20th-century satirical page uses humor to mock contemporary social conventions and gender dynamics: **"Up to Him"**: A young woman cleverly pressures her reluctant suitor Edward into proposing by cataloging two years of his attentive behavior (nightly visits, Sunday dinners, smoking his cigars, theater invitations). The joke: she's outlined such overwhelming evidence of commitment that he cannot reasonably refuse—the "brick wall" alludes to being trapped. **Gender satire throughout**: Multiple jokes target the emerging "New Woman" and traditional courtship expectations. "Aptly Put" compares women to phonographs, joking that money starts both talking but only stops women—mocking both female chattiness and female financial demands. **"Natural Supposition"**: A fire damages the home; the husband assumes his wife used the chaos as an excuse to finally do housecleaning—satirizing the era's tension between domestic duty and marital conflict. The remaining cartoons are lighter domestic and nature humor, with "Good Advice" suggesting dialect humor was standard entertainment (and considered offensive by modern standards). Overall, the page reflects early 1900s anxieties about changing gender roles and courtship norms.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
UP TO HIM. DWARD,” asked Genevieve Zoremus, “do you think a girl should propose 2” “Why, no, indeed! It is beneath woman's dignity. “There, now !"' said the gentle girl; “T told mamma she was wrong. She said that when a young man came to see a girl every night in the week for two years, and stayed for dinner every Sunday, and smoked her father’s cigars, and always happened around whenever we had any company, so he would be invited to go to the theatre with us, it was the girl's privilege to take it for granted that he was sincere in his attentions and ask him whether he preferred a wedding-trip, or would rather just settle down to home life in a neat little cottage.” Edward knew a hint when a brick wall was shoved over on him. 1, IF SLANG WERE EXACT, “Atcha, Ferdinand! | told your mother you were playing hookey.”* FerpivaNp—"" Hully gee! then I'm in a— Patient—“ Doctor, I believe I have a cataract.” Doctor—* Tut, tut! That is all in your eye.” APTLY PUT. 66 \JHAT,” asks the individual who always is studying conundrums ; “ what is the difference between a phonograph and a woman 2” «That's easy," asserts a gentleman who has just been compelled to give up all his money for the new-dress de- mand. “ Because you start a phonograph talking by giv- ing it money, but you stop a woman's talk that way.” THE SEASON OPENS. an with the hoe may repine of his lot the poet's refrai But now in the suburbs, by villa and plot, The man with the lawnemower reigns, THE WATER-SUPPLY. S6QOT going to move away from that flat, are you?” in- quires the friend. “Why, when you moved in, a few months ago, you were in raptures over it—said it had hot and cold water all the time, and ". “That's just explained the flat-dweller. «I've been in hot water with the agent all the time because he 2. IF SLANG WERE EXACT. threw cold water on all my suggestions as to repairs and —pickle!"* improvements.” ; A NATURAL SUPPOSITION. HE man comes home about an hour after the firemen have been summoned to his residence. The fire is out, but the front of the house is decked with broken fur- niture, rumpled carpets, disarranged bedding, pieces of cracked bric-a- brac, and smashed pictures, Sur- + veying the scene for a moment, he goes into the house, meeting his wife in the hallway. “I thought you weren't going to clean house until next week,” he comments, CONTENTMENT. UG uv —er on the shore, Fish-line in the I don’t ask fer nothi: But to fish an’ dream. Hemlock-tree above my head, Grassy bank below ; Bass a-nosin’ round my hook Weighs two pound or so. Sun a-shinin’ on the crick, Feelin’ mighty glad; Turkles dozin’ on a log, Bullfrog on a pad. Mushrat swimmin’ fur away, Foo Fish-hawk sailin’ o'er ; Fish a-bitin’ purty well— GOOD ADVICE. r Ae watrus—"* Gee! I hope I'll never get a Don't want nothin’ more. Mr. Scares—‘* Let us go right away from here, Miss toothache."* . Jo cone. Finn. Such language is not fit for a lady to hear.” comicbooks.com