Judge, 1914-04-25 · page 11 of 24
Judge — April 25, 1914 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Judge* magazine presents a "Butterflies" themed collection of short humorous pieces typical of early 20th-century American satirical magazines. The central illustration shows a fashionably dressed woman chasing butterflies—a visual metaphor for frivolous pursuits. The accompanying verse suggests butterflies exist mainly to frustrate humans, establishing the page's whimsical tone. The humor relies on wordplay and social observation: Willie's mother taught him organization but not retrieval; a poor man argues he's a good match for a wealthy heiress because their opposite circumstances fit; a farmer oddly pairs a cow and rooster for plowing; a woman is "well-bred" because she avoids her family; and a man must be intelligent because lawyers reject him from juries (suggesting jurors are typically unintelligent). These jokes target Victorian pretension, rural absurdity, and class pretense through gentle mockery rather than sharp political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
No doubt all things created fulfill a purpose here, And some are understandable, and some are not so clear. Some Job Mrs, Crabshaw—Haven’t I taught you to put things in their right places? Willie—Yes, mamma; but you never taught me how I could find them after- ward. He Was Qualified “I believe,”’ said the beautiful heiress, “that the happiest marriages are made by opposites.’ “Just think how poor I am!"’ argued the young man. BUTTERFLIES Two Limericks A Mystery There was an old man in Podunk, Who traded his dog for a skunk; And nobody knows Where he buried his clothes, Or why he went off and got drunk. Agricultural Note There was a wise farmer near Wooster, Who hitched up a cow and a rooster. “This dodgasted team,”’ He remarked, ‘‘is a scream, And I'll plow "p more ground than I used ter.”” —Walt Mason, And some, it seems, were merely made to vex the human race, But it's plain to see that butterflies were made for man to chase. Explained His chum—How well bred your sister is! Her brother—Yes; you see, she spends most of her time away from the rest of the family. Positive Proof “Is Smithson an_ intelligent, well- informed man?"’ “Unusually so. As a juror he is al- ways rejected by the attorneys en both sides!"" comicbooks.com