Judge, 1915-05-15 · page 11 of 24
Judge — May 15, 1915 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This comic story satirizes the "New Woman" of the 1910s-20s era—specifically, a college-educated woman named Maud who rejects traditional expectations. Billy, an old childhood friend, encounters her during a walk and attempts to rekindle romance. Maud articulates progressive positions: she values personal freedom over marriage, supports women's suffrage and eugenics, and dismisses romantic love as impractical. Billy finds her arguments frustrating and contradictory. The satire mocks both her ideological posturing and the social anxieties her independence provokes. The ending—that despite all her declarations against matrimony, Maud elopes with Billy anyway—suggests the cartoonist's skepticism about whether "modern" women truly reject traditional outcomes, or whether their progressive rhetoric masks inevitable conventional choices. This reflects common anti-feminist humor of the period that portrayed suffragettes and educated women as hypocritical or confused about their own desires.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SY = — A D iI S$ C O U R A G I By J. A. N G WALDRON E P IS O DE 66L JELLO, Maud!"" “Hello, Billy did you come from?"" Billy had watched her as she set out with her dogs and quickly joined her. “Why, I just happened along."* “Are you as aimless as that?"" “T wanted a walk. I miss my exercise, you know."* “Of course. Let's see. You're quite active in your studies at college, aren't you?’? She laughed. ‘‘I mean in college sports," Billy looked as though he suspected she was guying him. ‘I play football and baseball, and I'm going to try for the first crew next year. Don't you do your bit of athletics at Bellesley?’* “I'm on the basketball team—a regular."’ “But of course a girl studies more than a fellow."” “Does she: “Doesn't she? I guess she knows more when she's graduated."” “Trying flattery, eh?" “‘What makes you so contrary, Maud? Don't you remember when we were kids together?"" “Very well. Where in the world We were just kids." **And—and"'— struction in speech. “And what?’" **Don’t you remember when we were kids that we played ‘keeping house’?"" “Yes. Wasn't it silly?"’ “Silly! Why, you promised me then that when we grew up you'd marry me!" “Did 1? That was even sillier."” Billy was silent for a moment. you're sorry you promised?"* “If I did it was in play. Children aren't responsible. I don't intend to marry any- body, Billy. “Why? “T like freedom. And matrimony is such agamble. It may be different when women get their rights, and eugenics reduces risks, and men cease to be lords of creation, and all that."" Maud never had seen Billy's eyes as large as they were now as he looked at her and gasped. ‘* What about love?'’ “I've heard about it, but don’t believe in it.’" **That doesn’t banish it. day you should fall in love?”’ “Oh, la-la-la!_ Impossible ! **But suppose the impossible should hap- pen?"* Billy had a sudden ob- “Then Suppose some “*You just want an argument, Billy. If I should fall in love, it would probably be with a Frenchman."* ‘Oh! Vanity. Want a title, eh?’ ‘The last thing in the world I'd care for. If I should marry a Frenchman, it would improve my French."" “Are you as—as—trifling as that?’’ Billy thought for a while. Maud talked to her dogs. ‘‘I don't believe it!'' he said with emphasis. ‘'But you said something about rights. Are you a suffragette?"’ Down to the ground."’ And a believer in eugenics?"’ Why not?" “*And that men are savages?"" “*What about the war?"’ “T suppose, then, you think I'm one!"’ “Possibly not now. You may be later." “Don't you care to have me walk with you?"" “Why not? My dogs can't talk."” Billy turned away, fell behind, and stood in a daze as she walked on unconcerned, looking steadily ahead. They went their ways and in due time were graduated to practical life. And Billy never saw Maud again until three days be- fore they eloped and got married. comicbooks.com