Judge, 1913-07-26 · page 9 of 24
Judge — July 26, 1913 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
A traveling tin peddler persistently pitches his wares to a woman despite her increasingly furious rejection. She explicitly refuses multiple times with growing anger, but he continues pushing his "offer." The joke's punchline reveals she's rejecting not a romantic proposal but *tinware*—the humor lies in his obliviousness to her clear refusal and his determination to make a sales pitch. The satire mocks both aggressive salesmanship and male persistence in ignoring women's explicit "no." The woman's threat to hit him with a rolling pin emphasizes the absurdity of his refusal to accept rejection. The phrase "tempted fate" proves apt when she finally explodes. The secondary cartoon "Cutting Out Cupid" depicts a dinner party and plays on romantic matchmaking, while "Out of the Mouths of Babes" satirizes a young girl's demand for the modern "tango" dance over old-fashioned options—likely critiquing contemporary youth culture circa 1910s.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
He Tempted Fate ‘or oN Her answer was firm, and yet her manner such that it seemed to bid him hope. In his eyes and attitude were supplication, appeal. “But,’’ he began again, “if you will only hear me, I’’—— A growing impa- tience appeared upon her as she gazed in- to his face, this man go earnest, 80 eager. “I offer you’’—— He would have urged his longing with still more warmth, but she bade him pause. “You need go no further!’’ said she. There was a rising flush on her cheek— a visible hardening of her voice—a nerv- ous tapping of her foot upon the floor. “But you would not reject my offer if you would only hear what I'’—— Again she interrupted. Disdain, scorn, indignation now spoke in tone and atti- tude and glance, “T do not wish to hear!"’ said she. ‘I have listened too long as itis. To pro- long this were idle. I wish you would go!”* Wherein could he see, vain man, even a gleam of hope that led him to per- sist? Yet he clung to his purpose. He rushed to his fate. “Then, if you will not hear to that appeal, I will offer’ —— Almost fiercely she in- terrupted him. “You can offer me noth- ing that I want!"’ she cried. “*You can make no offer to me that I would not reject! Will you go?”’ And yet he heeded not the warning in her flashing eye, her heaving breast, the suppressed tempest in her very voice. “But I’ —— The storm broke. “Once and for all, go!’” she exclaimed. “I have more tinware now than would stock a store! And I have got no use for your wooden ladles and your but- ter bowls! Pick up your CUTTING OUT CUPID M. Idas—Has your son an eye for business ? C. Resus—I should say he has, with three millionaires’ daughters on his calling list ! “THE GIRL(S) I LEFT BEHIND ME” traps and go, or when this rolling pin falls you will have to go back to your tin- shop and have rivets put in you!’’ The peddler took up his goods. “It has got so now,’’ said -he, as the door closed behind him witha bang, ‘‘that women don’t know a bargain when they See one, so they don’t!"” And he passed slowly on, to tempt fate at the house on the next block.—za ott. Out of the Mouths of Babes I MET a schoolgirl at a ball, Her years thirteen, her locks in curls. “‘What dance do you like best,’’ said I, “*My most demure of little girls? “‘Now, shall we dance a minuet, An Irish jig or Highland fling, Mazurka, Boston or Bolero, Or some Hungarian gypsy thing, “‘A quadrille, waltz or rigadoon, A two-step or a set of lancers? Or would you dance a pas seul only, Like those famous Russian dancers?’’ She frowned. I saw she was not pleased. “I know the grizzly bear,’’ I cried, “*And all the very latest things— The Apache dance, the Gaby glide, ‘‘The turkey trot, the bunny hug, Or, if you like, Spain’s wild fandango.”” ‘‘Aren’t these a trifle slow?’’ said she. “Oh, please, sir, can you tango?”’ —R. C. Reade. comicbooks.com