Judge, 1916-05-06 · page 11 of 28
Judge — May 6, 1916 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge page contains three separate pieces of humor: **"The Old Girl's Revenge"** (top): A poem-based comic mocking outdated Victorian attitudes about aging women. A young girl criticizes "Mother Williams" for being old, citing Robert Southey's famous poem "The Old Woman." Williams defends herself by embracing modern leisure activities (motoring, movies, dancing, cards) and ultimately wins by marrying the girl's boyfriend—turning the tables on her critic. The satire targets rigid expectations that older women should become invisible or dowdy, celebrating instead the "New Woman" of the 1920s who refuses such limitations. **"Unnecessary"** (middle): A brief joke about women's untrustworthiness—a conventional misogynist gag from the era. **"Jolting His Romance"** (bottom right): A cartoon showing a pessimistic man dampening a romantic moment by focusing on danger ("bear in there"). The humor targets his glumness and inability to enjoy pleasant moments. The page reflects 1920s attitudes: progressive views on aging and women's autonomy mixed with traditional gender stereotypes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
t THE OLD GIRL’S REVENGE ied. . .— Robert Southey. > irl cried, “And you ought to be feeble and gray. But you're looking as young as I'm | Now how do you do it, [ pray?” “TL fail to see why,” Mother Williams replied As she kicked up her heels in the air, “T fail to sce why I should dress like a frump When the styles are so easy to wear!” “You are old, Mother Williams,” the young girl cried, remarked in the days that are gone); So why are you pleasant, I pray?” “Well, Southey was wrong,” Mother Williams replicd; “1 motor and movie and 3 And dance and play cards—which is pleasure enough To last for a while, I would state.” “You are old, Mother Williams,” the young gitl cried, “But with all of the youngsters you pla} You dance with my brothers and flirt with my beau, And I wish that you'd stop right away! “Now see here, my good girl,” Mother Williams replied “That's thrice you have said that I’m old; And ['ll marry your beau to repay you for that!” ‘ (And she did, T am credibly told.) K. L. Roberts Unnecessary He (bitterly)—Is it possible for a woman to keep her word ‘ She—It would be if it was ever necessary. Jetd-__ | It is hard to be neutral when you are informed five minutes before dinner that your pet dachshund has stolen the roast ARE OLD, Mother Williams,” the young ng myself The hunter—Perhaps there's a bear in there. The pessimist—Huh ! it ain't big enough for a bear to get into. The Aunter—There you go again! JOLTING HIS ROMANCE ‘Always lookin’ on the dark side of everything! comicbooks.com