Judge, 1906-03-31 · page 7 of 16
Judge — March 31, 1906 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces reflecting early 20th-century social attitudes: **"All Improvements"** mocks nouveau riche pretension. Mrs. Newtyrich brags about her modern house's "automobile garbage" (likely a disposal) and "eclectic lights"—absurd exaggerations of technological status symbols meant to ridicule the newly wealthy's superficial adoption of gadgetry. **"A Lenten Reconsideration"** plays on Catholic Lenten sacrifice. A girl Ruth claims to have given up candy for Lent but, tempted by friend Vi's chocolates, decides to give up *pie* instead—a humorous commentary on the hypocrisy of religious observance, where believers rationalize their way around genuine sacrifice. **"When Leaves Were Fashionable"** uses a prehistoric couple as stand-ins for contemporary concerns. The husband prioritizes his "new dress-suit" over the salad course—satirizing male vanity and materialism overshadowing domestic life. **"Satisfied Her"** mocks gender stereotyping: a wedding reporter, knowing nothing of fashion, simply calls the bride "beautiful" repeatedly—which paradoxically satisfies the bride more than actual dress descriptions would have.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALL IMPROVEMENTS. Mas. Urrerten—" Mrs. Newtyrich—"‘ Lud, yes! A LENTEN RECONSIDERATION. NOTICED an amusing incident on a street-car the other day. A pretty girl was seated next to me, when we came toa halt and a friend of hers boarded the car. There were no empty seats, and I immediately gave her mine. After thanking me effusively, the girls were soon in an animated conversation. Suddenly the new-comer opened a small box and, passing it to her friend, she said, “Do have a few, Ruth! They're just dandy The pretty girl viewed the tempting chocolates displayed with pleasure and replied, «Oh, thanks, Vi, dear! You know I dearly love candy.” She chose a deli- cious morsel of the confec- tioner’s art, and was about to close her lips on it, when she started and gasped, “Oh, you know I have given up candy during Lent, Vi!” ++ Nonsense !" respond- ed“ Vi" briskly. You're awfully foolish to miss such lovely bon-bons."” And she closed the box, changing the conversation. However, the pretty girl addressed as Ruth was very much absorbed in thoughts of her own, for her replies to her friend were very absently given. Suddenly her face lightened and she whispered eagerly, Vi, dear, I have decided to change it to pie!" Imight add that « Vi's box was considerably light- er when she left the car, Apau—"' Salad! WHEN LEAVES WERE FASHIONABLE. Eve—" See, darling: after the roast brontosaurus we have a salad."* Great apples, woman! that's my new dress-sult!” jas your new house all the modern improvements? We've got an automobile garbage in the rear and eclectic lights in every room. SATISFIED HER. 46] WAS sorry,” says the editor to the bridegroom, « that our society reporter, who is a woman, was ili and could not attend your wedding to write it up. Thad to send a man, and Lam afraid he made a botch of it, as he knew nothing about costumes and could not write a good description of the bride’s dress.”” “Why, my w ays the bridegroom, with the usual hesitation over the word; “my wife seemed highly pleased with the account of the wedding. She wanted me to get two hundred copies of your paper to send to her friends and relatives.” After he is gone the editor looks over the story of the wedding and discov- ers that while the man re- porter has failed miserably to give many particulars about the dress and the flowers, he has mentioned the bride twenty times as “beautiful,” eighteen times as“ lovely," twelve times as “accomplished,” six times as“ attractive,” with a scat- tering number of such ad- jectives as “handsome, “charming,” “ popular,” “ stunning,” and “ fashion- able.” Widow—« I would like to talk with my departed husband.” Medium—« Vm afraid you can't to-night. There's a sick man on the floor above and a racket would kill him," comicbooks.com