Judge, 1908-12-05 · page 29 of 44
Judge — December 5, 1908 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This humorous piece by Carolyn Wells parodies famous literary figures by having them comment on Christmas gift-giving anxieties. The "Re-Echo Club" is a fictional literary society that mimics the real Boston Echo Club, known for creative parodies. The satire works by placing well-known poets—Shakespeare, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Swinburne, and others—in the relatable position of complaining about holiday gift obligations. Shakespeare's passage reworks his "To be or not to be" soliloquy into a debate about whether to buy gifts. Tennyson laments receiving too many slippers. The joke is the contrast: these grand literary voices are reduced to griping about everyday Christmas consumerism—overeating, gift expenses, and social obligations. The accompanying illustrations show children and holiday scenes, reinforcing the domestic, mundane nature of the complaints. The final caption notes that children's attitudes changed once they hung their stockings, suggesting the piece is ultimately gentle satire on holiday grumbling versus festive sentiment.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a ae Diversions of the Re-Echo Club By CAROLYN WELLS RECENT discovery has brought to light the long-hidden papers of the Re-Echo Club. This is a great find, and all lovers of masterpicces of the world’s best liters ature will r ice with us that we are en- abled to publish herewith a few of these gems of great minds. Little is known of the locale or clientéle of this club, but it was doubtless a successor of the famous Echo Club of Boston memory. At this season we append with pleas- ure the sentiments expressed by the mem- bers at Yule-tide. By Mr, Tennyson : ive me no more! Though worsted slippers be The proper gift from woman unto man, Component of the universal pla But, oh, too many hast thou given me, Give me no more! By Mr. Shakespeare : To give or not to give, that is the question; Whether tis nobler on the whole to suffer The old exe! ge of trinkets, gauds Or to take arms against this Christmas nuisance, And, by opposing, end it? To buy—to gi No more; and by that gift to say 1 The Christmas obligations to our frien When we have And tissue paper! Who would gifts re A pie of most prodi To buy 8 gay Wi huflled off the ribbon b ish books and little silver tr ke us rather keep the things we buy, that we know not of! ¢ cowards of us all, #¢ our good resolutions, we bandy gifts, and follow out old Christmas programme! By Mr. Wordsworth : All plumm: And very few t Ky Mr. Dobson: When she gave me cigars (1) at the present. Her eyes wi like stars When she gave me ci; (Lean stand sudden j So I looked very pleasant When she gave me cigars (1) I smiled at the present. Swinburne : By Mr. If you cat turkey stuffing, ‘And I eat hot mince pie, We'll vow that our d Is quite beyond all qu But soon we'll quit our blufling ‘And curl us up to die, If you cat turkey stufling, And [eat hot mince pie. By Mr. Lamafellaw : , and the darkness As a feathe From a | Jy’8 mushroom hat. I've a feeling of fullness and sorrow That is not like being ill, And resembles colic only As a pillow resembles a pill. But the night shall be filled with nightmares, And the food that was left to-day Shall be given to poor street Arabs, Or silently thrown away! — when they came to hang up their stockings that night they changed their tune. By Mr. Moo ’Twas ever thus, from childhood’s bawl, I've seen my fondest hopes decay. Whatever I want most of all, 1 do not get it Christmas P By Miss Procte: Seated one day at the table, I was stuffy and ill at ease, And my fingers wandered idly Over the nuts and cheese, 1 know not what I had eaten, Or what I was eating the: But I struck a delicious flavor That I'd like to taste again, It linked all elusive savors Into one perfect taste, Then faded away on my palate Without any undue haste. Thave sought, but I seek it vainly, That one lost taste go fine, That came from the head of the kitchen, Ard entered into n By Mr, Rite There, little girl, di You are awfully brok "tery! Liknow; But at Christmas time one has to buy— There, little girl, don’t ery, don’t ery! UL ENDs. comicbooks.com