Judge — January 7, 1905 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This comic strip follows a working-class character (Nervy Nat) attempting to romance a woman by complimenting her fur boa—a fashionable accessory of the era. The humor derives from Nat's transparent flattery and scheming: he praises the fur extravagantly, lies about knowing its origins, and eventually tries to convince her to let him "borrow" it, promising to return it after he pawns or sells it to pay debts. The satire targets working-class male desperation and dishonesty in courtship, while also gently mocking women's susceptibility to flattery over possessions. The repeated dialogue about "charlotte russes" (a dessert) and settling debts suggests Nat's financial straits. The strip exemplifies Judge magazine's humor: lighthearted mockery of urban social climbing and romantic schemes among the lower classes, presented through exaggerated caricature and slapstick situations.