Judge, 1916-09-16 · page 16 of 28
Judge — September 16, 1916 — page 16: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a morality tale illustrated by a cinema scene showing a family at the movies watching the story unfold on screen. **The story**: Bill Grumpy is a universally despised curmudgeon—cruel to animals, his wife, and neighbors. When they plot to tar-and-feather him, he vents his rage on his patient mule, which finally retaliates, kicking him in the head. **The satire**: The joke is that Bill's violent blow to the head miraculously transforms him into a virtuous man. He becomes kind to animals, respectful to his wife, and beloved by all. The title "Nature's Surgery" suggests the mule's kick functioned as accidental brain surgery, curing his moral affliction. **The point**: This is dark satirical humor about whether cruelty and malice are unchangeable character traits or can be literally knocked out of someone. The cinema framing emphasizes this as popular entertainment—people watching Bill's redemption-through-violence unfold as a movie story.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AT THE MOVIES T U R ILL GRUMPY found fault every day with this thing or with that; often kicked the cat He hated to see children play He stoned stray di nd swore at birds, and even beat his wife; For every one had hard words. His was a wretched life Il. Bill growled in winter at the cold, in summer at the heat; At prices when some thing he sold; at what he had to eat No person ever saw him smile, and even when he slept His snoring could be heard a mile, and those who heard it wept. Mt Bill’s neighbors made a high resolve, should other measures fail That he should in a cask revolve and ride upon a rail They'd tar-and-feather him a bit to keep his spirit down And if these measures didn’t fit, they'd run him out of town IV When Bill got word of their intent he mad and madder grew, And tried his vicious spite to vent on everything in view. He had a mule—a patient beast—to rage and blows inured, And on this creature Bill released his vengeance quite obdured. “LOOK OUT, MOTHER!” G E R \ And yet this mule—a worm will turn—at last aroused to hate, © point did quick discern and kicked Bill on the pate. bors, rancor all forgot—they thought that Bill was dead— Al come together on the spot while surgeons bound his head VL J forget that Bill had murdered peace, And with a neighborly regret lament his sad decease. But Bill came Angelic smiles his older phiz disguised, And people came from miles and miles to see a wretch revised. Vu. As he revived the wonder grew, for Bill was not content ‘To smile on every one he knew, and praise his wife's intent. He stroked the nd fed stray dogs and threw crumbs to the birds, And even wits polite to hogs, and never used bad words vill Bill never struck his mule again, and in that neighborhood Mules are esteemed by every man, for this mule’s work was good; And folks discussing this event confessed they had a hunch That in a kick there’s something meant beyond the simple punch