Judge, 1906-07-21 · page 6 of 16
Judge — July 21, 1906 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces mocking early 20th-century domestic life and social pretension. **"Approbation"** depicts newlyweds in their home—a simple joke about marital contentment and the wife's shallow enthusiasm for material comfort. **"A Tragedy"** mocks a once-beautiful woman whose appearance has deteriorated from age or illness. The cruel humor targets her vanity: she's now "regrowing brows and hair" at home while her smile is obscured by powder—suggesting she's become ridiculous or pathetic. **"Having It Out"** satirizes marital disputes and female gossip through deliberately circular, nonsensical dialogue where two women argue about who said what, becoming hopelessly tangled in their own contradictions. The joke mocks women's perceived tendency toward petty, illogical quarreling. **"Eminently Satisfactory"** darkly satirizes wealthy indifference to justice: a couple approves their new chauffeur specifically because he's hit pedestrians twice and escaped consequences—suggesting the wealthy believe themselves above accountability. These pieces reflect period attitudes toward women, class, and social propriety common to Gilded Age satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
APPROBATION. Younc nussano—" Well, dearest, now that we are here in our own home, tell me, how do you like it?” Youna wire—'* | think it's just too sweet for anything, darling! A TRAGEDY. GEE whom we knew as one both passing fair And marvelously rich in striking grace, Now hisles at home, regrowing brows and hair— Her smile lit up the powder on her face! HAVING IT OUT. E°COME upon the two women while they are in the midst of a dignified but none the less earnest discussion. ‘The first woman is saying, * But you said that I said that you said it, and“ “No,” interrupts the second, «+I said that if you said that I said that you said it, you said” *+Lsaid you said that if I said that you said it I said that you "—— “Indeed? I said that you said if I said that you said that if I said it you said I said you "—— I wouldn't mind spending a month or so here every summer.” “+L said that I said that you said that you said if I said you said I said "—— “I don't care! Isaid I said it, but I’never said you said I said what you said I said. + Oh, then it is quite different. I said if you said you said it then you hadn’t said I said you said what I said you said I said you said.” “Then it is perfectly clear now, dear.” Whereupon they kiss and make up; but we sit for some time in deep thought, and wonder if really she said what she said she said she said when she said she said it, EMINENTLY SATISFACTORY. 64 P)OES your new chauffeur give satisfaction ?” “Yes; [think we are going to be very well pleased with him. He ran over two people yesterday and managed both times to get away before anybody discovered our number.”