Judge — December 25, 1909 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This Judge magazine page combines practical advice with satirical commentary on early 20th-century American life. **Main Content:** The top article, "How to Select Christmas Cigars" by Margaret E. Sangster, offers genuine gift-buying guidance—avoid asking husbands' preferred brands, as dealers may deceive you; choose well-made cigars of attractive shape. **Satirical Sections:** Multiple short pieces mock contemporary issues: "Fable—The Blowhard" ridicules a young man inflating his salary to impress his girlfriend. "When Congress Meets" uses repetitive verse to satirize legislative inefficiency and naval politics. "Rather Unkind" jokes about mistletoe as a marital control device. The scattered illustrations reinforce these themes—a deceived woman, a man under mistletoe, holiday-related scenarios. The overall tone treats domestic and political absurdities with light humor typical of Judge's satirical approach.