Judge, 1916-05-20 · page 13 of 28
Judge — May 20, 1916 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical story depicts the morning routine between a wealthy, idle woman and her maid Sarah. The satire targets the laziness and unreasonable demands of the upper-class lady—she sleeps late, ignores the maid's repeated wake-up calls, complains about her bath being prepared too early, then demands breakfast cocktails before noon. The illustration shows the lady's physical unattractiveness: "unsymmetrically rotund" (fat), with poor complexion and sparse hair. This visual satire emphasizes the disconnect between her privileged status and her actual worth. The title's irony becomes clear: despite her wealth and leisure time, this woman makes for an unappealing matrimonial prospect—her character is as unattractive as her appearance. The joke critiques both idle wealth and domestic service dynamics of the era, mocking the arbitrary cruelty of employers toward servants.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A MATRIMONI Ry J. AY AL PRO’S*PE GT WALDRON HE MAID stood at the foot of the bed. at the clock she called “ Madame!” The lady in bed responded with a gentle snore. “Madame!” This a little louder. “It is very late!” The lady opened her eyes. “Oh! Ab-h! Um-m!” she yawned. “Why did you wake me so early?” “You told me to wake you at half-past ten, madame. Your bath has been ready an hour.” “Why did you start it before time?” “Tt’s half-past eleven now, mada “Half-past eleven!” The lady was too angry to yawn. “Why didn’t you call me at ten-thirty?”” “I did, madame. And at eleven. And again at fifteen minutes past. And I drew the water twice, madame.” “How stupid! You must do as I ask you to do!” “Yes, madame.” The lady rose, if rolling to the edge of the bed and thrusting out her feet can be called rising. The maid was ready with slippers. The lady was not an attractive spectacle. She was unsymmetrically Glancing nervously rotund—a vulgarian would have called her fat—her face was drawn, her complexion muddy, and her hair sparse and nondescript in tone. “Did you hear me, Sarah?” she asked. “ You must do as I wish.” “Yes, madame.” “When I came in at two this morning you were in a doze.” “Yes, madame.” “You must keep awake and understand my orders.” “Yes, madame.” The lady moved toward her bath, attired as Eve might have been attired if Eve had moved toward a bath, ignoring a silken robe dis- posed on a chair by the bed. The maid was busy at a dressing-table. “TI wonder,” said the lady in a sarcastic tone, as she hesitated at the door, “if you can do as I wish now? You seem to be awake. Ring for my breakfast. I want a cocktail—Mary will know what— and an egg, and ioast, and coffee.” “Yes, madame.” The lady took her bath, ‘and emerged even less comely than when she shook off sleep. The maid, who was about to achieve a daily transformation, assisted her into the silken robe, and handed her a cocktail. “T told you I wanted two cocktails, Sarah.” comicbooks.com