Judge, 1917-02-10 · page 11 of 28
Judge — February 10, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a romantic short story about Jed Hopkins and Lily Fair, set in rural America (apparently early 20th century). The narrative follows a Valentine's Day tragedy: Lily sends Jed a love poem; Jed responds but apparently with a rejection letter; both are heartbroken and separate. The top cartoon asks sarcastically why savings banks look like grand classical temples while depositors' homes are humble cottages—a visual metaphor for economic inequality and the power imbalance between financial institutions and ordinary people. The "Hairdress" sketch appears to be a separate comic about a woman with an elaborate coiffure, captioned "A Price on His Head," likely a pun about her expensive styling. The page concludes with a Valentine's poem by Clinton Scollard and a brief joke about a girl who "mends" (lies about) her clothes—"holt" being an old term for a characteristic trait. The overall theme emphasizes the contrast between romantic idealism and harsh economic reality in Gilded Age America.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A curiously ignorant person asks: read the direct appeal of its lilting verse, a daring thought came to her. She would send it to Jed. Being a woman, she knew every wish of his big, honest, manly heart, and knew that it was only his foolish but unconquerable shyness that kept his love untold. The deed would be forward, unmaidenly, and altogether out of keeping with Lily’s modest and demure character, but true love often tries to smooth its own course by deeds unthinkable in any other connection. Two people spent wakeful but happy ~ nights, each thinking of the delight of the other on receiving that pinky mis- sive, and looking forward to the joyous confession of sending it. It was about noon next day, when the postman of R. F. D. No. 3 left a big envelope at Jed Hopkins’ house, addressed in Lily Fair’s pretty, school- girly hand, and in a burst of impa- tience he tore open the flap. A black sun anda reeling sky” is a melodramatic but not exaggerated term to describe the feeling in Jed’s soul. But he was its captain, and he squared his shoulders under his invis- ible epaulets, made his preparations, and took the 3:10 train for the Wes and never came back. } Why is it all the savings banks homes appear like ths, That same afternoon, Lily received a large envelope and recognized Jed’s nice big penmanship. Smiling, she opened it neatly with a hairpin, and seeing its contents, ran hastily to her own room, threw herself on the bed and cried with all her offended, insulted, outraged might. Hell's last word in fury is said to be the scorned woman, and Lily Fair, gay, gentle little Lily, felt her heart breaking ———————_ _ SIATRDRESS! A PRICE ON HIS HEAD and most of the depositors’ homes like this ? with that ultimate rage. But she was a proud litle piece, was Lily, and she burned the valentine along with her other bridges, and decided to accept the position that had been offered her as teacher of the district school. There was no rustic swain in Johnnycake Corners that she cared for but Jed, and none ever came there. And Cupid, busy with a myriad less well-captained souls and less _deserv- ing soul mates, never bothered about the blunder he had allowed, and which had spelled tragedy for two. For Saint Valentine, His Day ‘OW white by hollow and by height Shine bright the winter snows, And through the caverns of the night The bugling north wind blows. And yet, my dear, the spring is here, For I have you who bring, Whate’er the time or tide of year, A sempiternal spring! —Clinton Scollard. Her Holt The neighbor —Your daughter tells me she mends all her clothes. Her mother—Bless her heart, that’s her holt—she’s that mendacious! comicbooks.com