Judge, 1906-01-27 · page 18 of 18
Judge — January 27, 1906 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This six-panel comic satirizes an American musician's brash behavior at a London high-society event. "Nervy Nat" (an American character type) crashes a refined English musicale, aggressively pursuing performance opportunities despite being snubbed. The satire targets American cultural presumption: Nat insists he's "an artist" and "an American" as justification for forcing himself upon aristocratic hosts. The humor centers on class collision—Nat's crude directness ("violoncello with the dropsy," references to "Scotch high-balls") clashes with English formality. He performs with a live snake, creating chaos among the refined guests. The final panel's apology ("the snake was purely impromptu") captures the joke: Nat blames accident rather than admit intentional disruption. The piece stereotypes Americans as loud, pushy outsiders unaware of social boundaries, while mocking English pretension toward American visitors.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1. Herr Dorretxnucxte—"' Dere, Seekfreet;™ inside your little. house get und valt. Your master iss dry, yet.” envy Nat—"* Wonder what the doose that musicaneer ts leaving his ‘cello out on the pave for? Isn't he the careless boy? | will lay violent hands on that squawk-box.”” 3. Nervy Nat—'t Madam, it would give me large hunks of ey to play for you at your musicale to-night. is stuffed shirt, here, with the in- flamed calves and powdered nut tried to give me the congealed flipper. but lam persistent. | am an American; | am an artist. ‘Shall | consider myself engaged? Lavy Bucereutu—“' Yes, indeed. We are frightfully fond of Ameri- cans. Do play for us! Witherspoon, carry the gentleman's instrument to the music-room."* ‘ rs! Nexvy Nat—"* For the love of Scotch high-balls! do I see it or did I play it? I've heard that one can get a good deal out of a violoncello. Se-ay! it's lucky | didn’t finish that chord it might have brought out « crocodile. Well, it’s lime-juice for yours shakily heréafter. COMYRIGNT 1908 BY JUDGE COMPANY PUBLISHERS, £75 FOURTH AVE. NEW YORK, NERVY NAT AT A LONDON MUSICALE. 2. Nervy Nat—''I have never performed on one of these fiddles with the dropsy. Iam certain that I would not be chosen as a nucleus for a ‘symphony orchestra; but I'll wagah, bah Jove! that if | carn't make the bally thing talk I can jolly well make it cuss." 4. Lavy Bucxreutn—" Let me present Mr. Madison Square of America. Nervy Nai peerage, howdy? If you'll all turn over and stay awake for minutes | will saw off a cord or so of one of me own trifles. It's called “The Hobo's Bluff to H sharp.” Everrsoor—“‘ Oh, isn’t he refreshing!"* ‘There you har! Mind the ‘You an’ yer narsty reptile Nexvy Nat—" You certainly have better calves, I'l bet— As | didn't have the opportunity to speak to her ladyship, won't you be good enough to tell her that the snake was purely Impromptu ?”