Judge, 1914-10-03 · page 8 of 24
Judge — October 3, 1914 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate satirical pieces typical of early-20th-century American humor: **"An Uncalled-for Truth"** mocks the "Idle Rich"—wealthy men without actual wealth or purpose. The narrative follows a woman who briefly reconciles with her ex-husband after he reforms, gets a job selling champagne/cars, and seems genuinely changed. The satire lies in the reveal: he's still fundamentally dishonest, carrying a photo of another woman. The joke: reformed rakes don't truly reform. **"Not Uncommon"** is a one-liner joke about marriage disconnect—couples grow so distant they forget they're married, playing on contemporary anxieties about modern marriage. **"Ham and Chicken"** shows a failed actor (Mr. Buskin) rejecting movies because he's "no pantomimist," then sarcastically wondering what Shakespeare would say. This likely references silent films' reliance on physical acting rather than Shakespeare's dialogue-driven drama—mocking both actors resistant to new media and cinema's perceived limitations. The tone throughout reflects Jazz Age skepticism toward social pretense and changing social institutions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN UNCALLED-FOR TRUTH Jenks—Mr. Boob is calling, ma'am. Lady—Show him up, Jenks Jenks—Beggin’ your pardon, ma'am, he'll do it himself, if given half a chance. —with the derelict and take the derelict’s owner along to Paris with me; and then how could I refuse, since we were both hun- gry, @ little roadside dinner with this Has-Been of mine? I didn’t know then that it would x @ lead to a white night, of course. My dear U, he was charm- ing! If I'd even guessed he could be that way, I'd never have got rid of him. And he works now. Heactually works! He's got tired of being an Idle Rich—that is to say, an Idle without the Rich —and he sells champagne or motor cars and all those sort of things that folks buy when they ought to be getting new winter flannels and a set of sauce pans for the kitchen instead! We had dinner at Villebon, that cute little place in the Foret de Senart, where there are rustic cubby houses built for two ali over the garden, where the melon is properly iced, and where they can prepare a champagne cup that doesn’t remind you of a Sunday- school-treat beverage. He ordered a delicious picnic meal and spoke so nicely of old times, remembering all sorts of things that I'd thought he hadn’t even noticed that I used to do for him, and making such pretty speeches that I quite felt as if we'd never been married; and then, just as I’m perfectly certain he was going to repro- pose and he bent forward to take my hand, his pock- etbook toppled out on the table and a photo fell out face upward! It was quite a new one, dated from some time last week, and she was of the usual ‘‘front row”’ style of beauty! Eh, but I came down to earth with a crash! Can you wonder I spent a white night? And to think I was once married to the Silly Ass and was quite fond of him! Such foolishness, you know! I'm sore, dear U, really I am! Not Uncommon “Pop, what's technical desertion?” ‘‘Um—that’s when a man and wife see so little of each other that one forgets all about being married." “Me? Looking Ahead «eT JM-AH—Sistah Soggy,’’ solemnly questioned good old par- son Bagster, just before the funeral, ‘‘what does yo’ want me to say special ‘bout yo’ late lamentable husband?” “‘Suppin’ kinda nootral, pahson,’’ replied the bereaved one. ‘*Yassah, suppin’ kinda nootral. Yo’ see, sah, I’s 'spectin’ to be led to de altar by a yallah gen’leman next Sunday."’ Impossible. HAM AND CHICKEN “ Well, Mr. Buskin, why don't you try the movies ?"" I'm no pantomimist. And what would Shakespeare say! "" comicbooks.com