Judge, 1916-10-07 · page 3 of 32
Judge — October 7, 1916 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes excessive displays of marital affection in social situations. The host (standing right, smoking) complains to his guest (seated) about continuous kissing between husband and wife. The host suggests restraint—kissing only upon arrival and departure—rather than constant public displays "just to please you." The satire targets early 20th-century social conventions around public displays of affection. The "house guest" appears to be someone whose presence encourages or enables excessive romantic behavior, disrupting normal household decorum. The cartoon mocks both the couple's behavior and the guest's apparent influence, treating marital affection as something that should be rationed and controlled within polite society. The humor relies on readers finding such constant kissing socially inappropriate or exhausting.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
HOST AND HOUSE GUEST “I say, old top, I with you wouldn't be continually kissing the wifel_ I think once when you come and once when you go quite sufficient.” But, my dear man, I can’t wear myself out coming and going all the time just to please you.”