Judge, 1908-01-04 · page 7 of 16
Judge — January 4, 1908 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from Judge magazine contains several brief satirical pieces mocking everyday social situations and contemporary trends: **"Man of Un-mailed Letters"** jokes about a husband who receives but never sends letters—a mild domestic jab. **"The Dangers of Optimism"** critiques the popular "New Thought" movement (early 1900s self-help philosophy). Judge sarcastically suggests optimism is a disease progressing from curable to incurable stages, with its worst symptom being forced association with overly cheerful people who've discovered "the true meaning of Life." **"The Mysterious Man"** presents a paradox: a shabby, poor-looking stranger amid well-dressed wealthy crowds at a train depot. The final panel's punchline suggests he's notable only because a racehorse shares his name—mocking society's arbitrary judgments of importance. The cartoons reflect Judge's characteristic cynicism toward American optimism, social pretension, and self-help trends of the era.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
renee sr REVISION. WWITES your head hits hard And your thoughts feel queer, Aud your heels rise up ke foam on beer 5 When your voice is weak strong, stars you see Are six feet long— t some careless » has thrown a banana-skin on the pavement. MAN OF UN-MAILED LETTERS. Mrs. Hoyle—\s your hushand a man of letters ?” Mrs. De at least a dozen of mine that he has —" Yes. He must have never mailed.” COMPUNCTION. ind, the unsung song, k have they wrought! A MATTER OF SURPRISE. Bat oh, to be haunted all life long Lone wipow—* Poor, dear man! he lived only three months after our marriage.” By the wraith of an Unthought Thought! Oto Jennins—* Ahem! As long as that, mum?" THERE ARE OTHERS. THE jaybied, e's my favori Of all the birds they is. His c L think he's quite a stylish sight In that blue suit of his; You'd know he tuts his wings lights a t's. “cutaway ess it's only when he sings was.a jay. THE ANARCHISTIC SPIRIT. all the man that drives an automobile 2” SOYVHAT do you * Well, it depends largely upon one’s religious seruples and com: mand of langu: THE DANGERS OF OPTIMISM. QOP!TIMISM is really an excellent theory if kept in its plac days the tendency is to run it into the ground, We me . but in these professional What can be m in Such a mental state that you can be cured by any form of the New Thought? In the first stages Optimism is easily curable, One of the receipts is to terrible, for example, than to be optimists every buy a hundred shares of Amalgamated Copper. In its second st eptible of treatment by marriage or living in the suburbs, In the last stages, however, the patient is hopeless. He is too happy able ‘The worst feature of Optimism is the people it forces you to associate for any use, and is, of course, quite unby to get rid of the man who has discovered the-true mesning-ol-Life— ind ny is beyond all cure. And there is nothing: worse than the man who has dis- with, Not to be , to become so that you sctually enjoy his con covered the-truc-ineaning-of- Life. ‘There may be other yrades of superiority more offensive, but we have never met U It is better, and not admit that there is Y00 much jood leed, to be conservative, in anythi HALF NOT ENOUGH. Only in this way can one ree * Oi hear Motke had throuble wid his better-half."* tain one’s self-respect in t *Yis. She wanted to be th’ whole thing.”* of universal panaceas. ‘THE MYSTERIOUS MAN. ds surged about the city depot where the trains of many busy 1. Many whose appear- dl de REAT e Hines dischey Land received their human frei; Ss whose dress id the thror ance was distinguished we 45 — perse meanor would have made them noticeable anywhere and amid any collection of individuals. Yet apart from all stood «smallish man in almost sha ht. A glance at his rattractive. Judging by his prep in this world’s goods by garb, his face Sif he were in th atures would not cast downward, ppearance, have discovered anything remarkable one would have thought him to be almost infinitely near than were the well-dressed, opulent-looking people wh rte siding the wealth of John D. surg ¢ to reach th One would never have judged him to be in of industry, tarsus in his possession, und able at will to start or stop a great financial panic Yet who was this quiet, unobtrusive, plainly-dressed individual who at- ttention? Who was he? we repeat. cf, perhaps you can tell us? As for ourselves, we haven't IT MUST HAVE BEEN A POOR BET “Sure, | know who he is, ‘There's a race-horse named after ! tracted so little Alas, dear re the slightest idea ! STIGCKLAND. WG comicbooks.com