Judge, 1904-06-25 · page 5 of 19
Judge — June 25, 1904 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This comic satirizes the affectation of exaggerated chivalry. "Nervy Nat" repeatedly invokes Sir Walter Raleigh—the historical figure famous for laying his cloak over a puddle for Queen Elizabeth I—to justify absurd gestures toward a lady: offering his hat as a stepping-stone, then as a raft. His performative gallantry predictably backfires: the hat gets destroyed, the lady nearly drowns, and a police officer arrests them both. The satire targets two things: first, men who adopt theatrical "courtliness" as an excuse for poor judgment; second, the American obsession with imitating European aristocratic manners. Nat's self-serving romanticism—he treasures his "Gibus hat" more than her safety—undercuts any genuine chivalry. The Irish cop's dialect-heavy conclusion ("fir-rst decree") adds class commentary, suggesting working-class common sense trumps upper-class pretension.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Nervy Nat—"* Rotten afternoon for Celeste to be out. The dear girl Nervy Nat—"‘ Oh, lady fair, plump and bewitching, allow me to offer wants to cross over to the drug-store to get a chocolate flip and the nasty you a stepping-stone to cross this turbulent stream. I shall treasure my water s too deep. Sir Walter Raleigh belonged to one of the minor Gibus hat, already dear to me through countless associations, still more branches of our family, and | know what he would have done." with the memory of your pretty feet having touched the crown.” Tue Lavy PAiR—"'I'm sure it's awfully sweet of you to say so!" (nt | Avert Tue Lavy FAiR—‘I'm almost afraid to bear my weight on your hat. Are you sure it won't spoil It?" Nervy Nat—'t Have not the slightest qualm, dear lady; the hat ts entirely at your service."* Tue Lavy rain—‘ Heavens! I'm sinking! Help!" Nervy Nat—"' You sha'n't drown, dear lady. A thousand pardons! 1 forms the lid shut up, I wouldn't have had this happen for eighty cents , Sw lik Nervy Nat—"‘Do you know, stleces I think Sir Walter Raleigh was a little nutty, myself, There really isn’t any necessity for making so much fuss over women and coddling and waiting on them the way we Nervy Nar—"‘Say, if you don't let my scalp go I'll take back all Americans do" those nice things I said’ about you. If that isn’t just like you women— Orricer—" Niver moind includin’ me in ‘we Amerikins*: Oi'm a always want to drag a man into trouble after you. I'll bet my hat is about arficer ay th’ police-foorce. You kape yure discocshins fer th’ judge. Yez as flat a thing as you'd want to see by now.”” are charged wid thryin’ to drown a lady in th’ fir-rst decree.” NO. 30.—NERVY NAT IS CHIVALROUS. comicbooks.com