Judge, 1913-03-15 · page 13 of 24
Judge — March 15, 1913 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century humor: **"The Latest Thing in Headgear"** shows three women's hat styles for different occasions (beach, street, "Aunt Dinah"), establishing fashion satire. **"Mephisto's Hat"** is the main narrative cartoon. A devout woman spends Lent in religious contemplation but becomes distracted by the Devil's appearance—specifically his fashionable red hat with an upright feather. Despite her pious intentions, she becomes so obsessed with the hat's style that by Easter, she's wearing it herself. The satire mocks how easily worldly vanity undermines religious devotion, particularly women's susceptibility to fashion trends. The poem's moral: even sincere spiritual effort ("the devotion absorbed during Lent") evaporates quickly, like gasoline. **Lower cartoons** include jokes about missionaries and domestic life—a traveler removes dentures before speaking to natives (racial stereotype humor), and a farmer debates paying debts versus avoiding creditors. The page reflects period attitudes: fashion obsession, religious hypocrisy, and casual ethnic mockery.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
On the beach. On the street. THE LATEST THING IN HEADGEAR The A B C’s of Success. Mephisto’s Hat. mbition. Nobility. LOVELY maiden each day spent A y y sp Bravery. Order. Long hours in church through weeks Caution. Punctuality. of Lent: : Determination. Quickness. She pondered on her wasted life, — Earnestness, Readiness. Its aimlessness, its shams, its strife. Fairn Steadiness. Her face was saint-like, as her eyes Gameness. Tirelessness. Were upward turned, Madonna-wise. Honesty. Uprightness. She thought ‘about the angels fair, Independence. Versatility. She thought of fiends with snaky hair, Justice. Wisdom. — Until one day before her rose Keenness. ’Xactness. Mephisto’s wraith, in crimson clothes! Labor. Yearning. She shrank back on the soft prie dieu Method. Zeal. —bn pws, And trembled all the service through. But ever, as she cowering knelt, The devil's presence near she felt; She saw, or ever seemed to see, ‘The dapper demon shake with glee. The devotion absorbed during Lent evaporates as quickly as gasoline. el She glimpsed the natty suit of red, The cloven feet, the close-singed head, < The head. Alas! she saw the hat Which on his brows so smugly sat! And though she struggled to forget, Its classic shape beguiled her yet. She loved its long, smart quill of red, Upspringing from the devil’s head; She loved its closely clinging crown, Pulled rakishly but firmly down; She loved its brim’s alluring fit. She looked until—she worshiped it! On Easter Day to church she went— This charming little penitent— But as her prayers she softly said, Mephisto’s hat was on her head! Lida Kub Wieeins. His Device. First traveler—The new missionary always takes the two plates out of his mouth before he speaks to the natives. . Second traveler—Good gracious! Sarre Naa Why? i reler—He doesn’t want t : WOULD GET AWAY FROM IT. ere over fn aerial 2 HATES TO GIVE UP. Edith —And be really asked you to marry him? : Farmer (soliloquizing) —I s'pose I'd oughter stop Ethel—Yes ; just as though I could live in a tiny flat —— at Si Tibb's place an’ pay bim that quarter I owe and do my own work. Too much nagging makes men mad. him, Gosh! I hope he ain't in, comicbooks.com