Judge, 1914-06-27 · page 9 of 25
Judge — June 27, 1914 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two pieces: a cartoon illustration with caption and a short story titled "Brother Brad's Luck." ## The Cartoon Shows a social scene where a man and woman discuss a daughter's education in Paris. The satire appears to mock aspirational middle-class pretensions—the mention of Paris education signals social climbing, while the domestic setting suggests modest means. The point seems to be commentary on class aspiration exceeding reality. ## The Story A domestic comedy about a servant named Mandy who constantly buys on installment plans—a red plush rocker, photograph album, and blue satin opera cape—claiming she needs them to "percolate in society." The employer objects to Mandy's debt accumulation, but Mandy references her acquaintance "Brother Brad Lee" who apparently obtained a suit of clothes dishonestly through luck. The satire targets working-class consumer culture and installment buying's appeal to servants and laborers seeking status symbols. It also hints at petty dishonesty as a shortcut to respectability. The humor derives from Mandy's earnest justifications for frivolous spending and her reference to fraud as merely "luck."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Yes, my daughter wants to finish her education in Paris.” AY, MISS, you couldn’t let me out this afternoon, could you?” I looked up from my writing to see Mandy standing in my door, with a sheepish grin overspreading her fea- tures. “Why, no, Mandy!” I answered, in surprise. ‘Have you for- gotten that I’m going to have several people here for tea this afternoon?” Mandy shook her head with an air of sublime resignation. ‘‘No, ma'am, I ain’t forgot; so I guess, then, you'll just have to advance me three dollars again out of my salary. That creditman is going to be around again this afternoon, ma’am, and if I’ve got to go to the door, there ain’t no hope, as I can see, of my delud- ing him this time."” “‘Mandy,”’ I exclaimed, as severely as NO FOUNDATION “Oh, indeed! Brother Brad’s Luck By WINIFRED ARNOLD possible, ‘‘don’t tell me you have been buying things on the installment plan again, and that red plush rocker and photograph album not yet paid for! What is it this time?’’ “That red plush rocker and photograph album,’’ said Mandy accusingly, ‘‘I just had to have to entertain my gentlemen friends in the kitchen, ma'am, They’s used to ’em at home, and ordinary rock- ers don't suit em; and, of course, every lady of refinement has a photograph al- bum. And this blue satin opera cape I just had to have, too, if I was going to percolate in society at all this winter.” I sat back abashed before my hand- maid’s flow of conversation. After all, And where does she wish to begin it? why was I to prevent her ‘percolating in society” in a blue satin opera cape? Still, my conscience called for one more protest. “‘But it uses up your money so fast,’’ I argued weakly. ‘You are always bor- rowing money ahead.”” “IT know that,’’ admitted Mandy frankly; ‘‘but maybe it won’t be 80 al- ways. Some folks is heaps luckier than I be with them creditmen, and maybe my luck will turn, too, one of these days. Brother Brad Lee, now, over on Cherry Alley, he beat ’em out of most a whole suit of clothes.’’ “‘Mandy,”’ I gasped, ‘‘what do you mean? That isn’t honest !’’ “Oh, yes, ma’am, his attentions was as honest as Abe Lincoln’s, Brother Brad’s was. Luck was just on his side, that’s all. You see, it was this way, ma’am. Brother Brad Lee he needed a nice swaller-tail to wear Sundays when comicbooks.com