Judge — November 21, 1903 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a romantic comedy cartoon depicting two men discussing courting strategy. The main figure, shown in profile with fashionable early 1900s styling, has apparently exhausted conventional methods to win a woman's affections. His friend advises applying the proverb "absence makes the heart grow fonder"—suggesting that deliberately staying away might paradoxically increase her romantic interest. The satire gently mocks courtship conventions of the era, implying that persistence and constant attention don't necessarily work in romance. The "absent treatment" was a recognized (if cynical) romantic tactic of the period. The cartoon's humor lies in the ironic suggestion that doing *nothing* might prove more effective than active pursuit.