Judge, 1915-12-25 · page 16 of 29
Judge — December 25, 1915 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a narrative illustration (not political satire) from Judge magazine depicting a chance reunion between two women who were childhood schoolmates. The story unfolds in a Parisian millinery shop where a customer unexpectedly encounters an old friend while shopping for hats. The humor centers on social conventions of the era: the customer's arrival as a married woman surprises Madame Jamet, who compliments her stylishness and assumes she'll buy more hats. The two women—Miriam and Hester—recognize each other despite years of separation and broken correspondence (they exchanged only three letters despite promising daily contact). They had been separated by distance (California vs. Alabama). The satire is genteel rather than political, poking fun at women's fashion consciousness, the transience of childhood friendships, and the coincidences of urban life. The artwork shows typical 1910s-20s women's fashion and shop setting.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
i | RENEWING A ty I T WAS the luncheon hour for business persons, and a little carly for persons of leisure, who approach that habit as a function ed to one or another s¢ ity. So in Madame Jamet’s millinery shop on the Avenue the madame herself was alert for trade while her assistants, Mignon and Celestine. were inconspicuously yet gracefully negotiating their mid-day refreshment from dainty boxes behind a miniature forest of trees upon which a bewildering variety of hats was displayed. ‘The girls were chatting confidentially about certain young men of mut acquaintance, for they had few secrets from each other, when Madame Jamet saw at the door an attractive young woman who had bought one of her creations a few days previously, and ran to greet her. “Bon jour, mademoiselle!” “Good morning! But I am married, madam “Oh, is it so? Who would imagine it! You are so chic! indeed be a great happiness! You admire the hat, for you are wear- ing it. And perhaps you wish——” “Not another today. I just dropped in. looking about? Say in the inner room?” “Ah! No. You will desire to purchase another day, perhaps. Who knows when? And you will not mind another patron who is within?” And Madame Jamet went with the attractive young woman where examples of her art were shown in a room as full of rela Tt must You don't mind my CQUAINTANCE WarpRroy light as a studio, returning to gently rebuke her assistants—who had grown gay over their confidences—and to watch for trade. In the inner room the other patron’s back was turned, but the newcomer, with that swift analysis common to the sex, was favorably impressed from a glance at attire alone. The other was stunningly stylish also. There w se for envy, their modes were so dif- ferent. And the other also must be attractive on other grounds than dress. She was. She turned and they faced cach other—two distinct types of beauty that enhanced each other. They looked cach other over without sceming to do so, and the newcomer ex- claimed: “Miriam “Hester!” the other cried. that fitted their appearance. Why, I haven't seen you since: ince the old days when we were chums at Madame Del- And they kissed in a gentle manner roy’s! “And we promised when we left school to write each other daily for years and years—indefinitely “And ended with an exchange of three letters.” “T wrote the fourth. You never answered it!” “But we were so far apart! I went to California to liv were away down in Alabama!” “But we have found each other. Where are you living now?” nd you comicbooks (eon