Judge, 1913-05-24 · page 6 of 24
Judge — May 24, 1913 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical short story about class conflict and female defiance. Mrs. Porter, a wealthy customer, attempts to persuade her dressmaker Mrs. Bunner to serve coffee to an elderly man (likely Mrs. Bunner's father) demanding it from the next room. The satire targets working-class insubordination: Mrs. Bunner refuses her customer's polite requests, deliberately ignoring and even mocking the old man's pleas. She asserts her autonomy by refusing to obey—both the man's demands and her customer's expectations. Mrs. Porter, accustomed to deference, is shocked by this rudeness. The accompanying illustrations—one showing an apothecary shop ("Back to Earth") and another depicting a social gathering ("Approval")—appear unrelated to the main narrative, typical of magazine layout from this era. The story satirizes early-20th-century tensions between employers and working-class women who were increasingly asserting independence.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
parents. She recalled King Lear. She had not thought it of Mrs. Bunner, who had sewed for her for many years. To ignore an old man’s demand for fresh- made coffee was not humane. ‘‘A simple drink, like coffee!’ said Mrs. Porter quietly to the mantelpiece. She had, indeed, heard of old men who wanted other things than coffee—things that daughters were justified in refusing. However, coffee, which only stimulated the heart, was a demand well within rea- son. Mrs. Porter steeled herself to en- durance of the plaint behind the door. Mrs. Bunner entered the bedroom with the haste which in adressmaker indicates that she has cut and basted the dress lin- ing since the customer's arrival. The dressmaker, who was short of stature and wide of hip, at once attacked the hooks on Mrs. Porter’s waist and had her out of it in a jiffy. “I want my coffee! I want my cof- fee!'’ sounded clear and firm from the next room. Mrs. Porter, coldly silent, watched for its effect on Mrs, Bunner. The dressmaker's eyes showed a hard, businesslike glitter as she ignored the sound and held a waist lining in her hands for Mrs. Porter to enter. Startled and surprised by Mrs. Bunner’s conduct, Mrs. Porter folded her bare and shivering arms and refused to enter the waist lining. “T want my coffee!’’ the voice repeat- ed. Mrs. Porter felt a malicious pleasure. She hoped he would repeat it. “Ain't he a teaser?’ asked Mrs. Bun- ner unconcernedly, dropping the waist lin- ing as she observed Mrs. Porter’s antag- onism to it. Picking up a basted skirt, the dressmaker quickly threw it over her customer's head. Mrs. Porter, who was BACK TO EARTH unprepared for this move of Mrs. Bunner’s, struggled inside the skirt, which halted around her head. The dressmaker tri- umphed by pulling the skirt down to her waist line. ‘‘What’s the matter?’ questioned Mrs. Bunner. ‘‘Don't you want to be fitted?” Mrs. Porter, listening to the voice, stared resentfully at her dressmaker. She felt that something must be done and con- trolled her voice to polite suggestion. ‘Mrs. Bunner, why won’t you give him his coffee? I do not mind waiting while you do so.”” “IT won’t give him his coffee!'’ answered Mrs. Bunner re- belliously. ‘‘I won't wait on him!’’ “‘But,’? continued her customer, still under great self- restraint, ‘‘he seems to want it so much.’” “Of course he wants it,’’ laughed the dressmaker cruelly; “but that doesn’t mean he’s going to get it.’” Mrs. Porter gave her dressmaker a glance of horrified dis- like and took a long breath for repose of manner. She would use her influence as a customer to urge this woman to adeed of kindness. ‘‘1 shall await your return,’’ she announced pleas- antly, taking her waist lining from Mrs. Bunner’s hands, “Now go, like a good woman, and get his coffee!’’ APPROVAL Marian—Ob, Mrs, Smith! I think your baby 's as cute as it can be. I in soppoat it's the ses latezt thing? “I won't get any coffee!’’ declared the dressmaker, as flatly comicbooks.com