Judge, 1913-10-11 · page 11 of 24
Judge — October 11, 1913 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This story satirizes the clash between traditional masculinity and emerging feminist ideals in early 20th-century America. A confident, wealthy college football quarterback ("Billy") proposes to Pansy assuming her affection is guaranteed because they've attended shows together. She rejects his assumptions, insisting women have intellectual tastes independent of men's preferences and deserve equal consideration in relationships. The satire targets his old-fashioned entitlement: he expects marriage without understanding her as an individual, assumes financial security makes ambition unnecessary, and is shocked when she advocates women's suffrage and divorce rights. Pansy represents the "New Woman"—educated, opinionated, and unwilling to be passively "won" through male confidence alone. The title's irony is key: she's "starting him right" by demanding he modernize his views on gender equality, marriage partnership, and women's autonomy—the very issues suffragettes were actively fighting for during this era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
should suddenly come to an end. ee YOU'RE the only girl for me. I knew that the first time we met. I played better always when I thought you were among the bunch looking on, and I imagined I could hear your encouraging voice above all the din. I just love you, Pansy, and what’s the use of beating about the bush?"’ This declaration had come out glibly, after an amazing lack of what may be called preliminary sparring. Confidence is early developed in a successful football player. Confidence and masculine beauty have limits as a combination, but it takes something better to beat them. This was happening on the evening of the day after the deciding game of the season, won by the eleven of which he was the quarterback. ~ “You still have a term at college?’’ she remarked. “Yes."" “Have you settled on any object—after college?” “T've settled on you!"’ He thought football methods ap- plicable and caught her in his arms, She couldn't play foot- ball, but she practiced jiu jitsu. In a twinkling he was sub- dued. He was also amazed. “You're not a good tackler,’ said she, her eyes twinkling. “‘And you haven't answered me. What's your idea of a voca- tion, Billy?” The ‘‘Billy’’ reassured him a bit. ‘*Why worry about that? We—my folks—have plenty of money.”” “So have we—my folks. But it’s foolish to rely on that. Riches develop wings. What would you do without money?” “I’m not going to worry about what I’d do if the world Starting Him Right By J. A, WALDRON What I want to know is, Will you marry me after I graduate?” “You haven't even asked me if I care for you.”’ “‘Oh, I guess you care for me a bit. Haven't we been about to theaters and cabarets and all that and had a bully time?” “Did it ever occur to you that these days a young woman likes to study the tastes of a young man who appeais to her in acertain way? Candidly, I don’t like the ‘shows’ that you de- light in, and you don't like the drama that pleases me. And yet you might improve in taste.'" “Of course I would. I'd get to like everything you do.”” “But ifeyou should marry a girl and after a while should find you were mistaken in her, would you feel like keeping her for better or for worse, as the old saying is?” “Of course.’” “*Well, if I should marry a young man and he should turn out unsatisfactory, I should want a divorce.’” “Pansy !"" 4 “See? You are old-fashioned and a little crude. do you think about sex eqmality?”” “You mean woman suffrage? Are you a suffragette, Pansy?’ He held his breath for her answer. “Yes. At least in theory.’’ But you wouldn’t go about beating a drum or marching or kicking up a muss or anything like that?”” “I certainly should if I thought it necessary for the cause.’” He looked at her, took a turn about the room and whistled And what comicbooks.com