Judge, 1912-07-13 · page 11 of 24
Judge — July 13, 1912 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This illustration satirizes female fickleness and the emerging automobile culture of the early 20th century. A wealthy woman of leisure abandons her fiancé (seated left, playing saxophone) when she spots an old romantic interest arriving by motorcar. The poem's moral: even a devoted suitor keeping "the wheel of joy in motion" cannot compete against a woman's capricious nature—particularly when an automobile and a more appealing man appear. The satire targets both gender stereotypes (women as inherently fickle) and the era's fascination with automobiles as symbols of modernity and seduction. The "better actor" likely refers simply to the more charming rival, though Judge's readership would recognize the class-conscious irony: a woman of leisure choosing romance over stability, and a car over commitment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CAPRICE. She knew her mind for but a space— So fickle is the maid of leisure— And wondered if she could retrace The path to one of greater pleasure. Her fiance had done his best To keep the wheel of joy in motion. But all at once he saw her zest Was giving way to some new notion. He did not guess that in the game There always is an unknown factor: She saw a car and an old flame, And rode off with the better actor. comicbooks.com