Judge, 1919-10-11 · page 5 of 36
Judge — October 11, 1919 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Down East Play" - A Domestic Comedy This is a humorous dramatic sketch titled "Dramatic Cartoons or Tabloid Plays for the Tired Business Man," credited to Kendall Banning with decorations by Lauren Stout. The sketch depicts a Christmas Eve scene in a Maine fisherman's home. The humor centers on a shipwreck rescue: while parents Hiram and Miranda read by the fire, their sailor son Seth unexpectedly returns home carrying a half-drowned sailor he's rescued from a reef. The comedy derives from the contrast between domestic comfort and maritime drama, and the family's simultaneous concern and casualness about the rescued stranger. The illustration shows the tired businessman audience as the actual subjects being entertained—satirizing leisure reading for exhausted workers.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Dramatic Cartoons or Tabloid Plays for theTired Business Man By Kenxpaut Bannixc Decorations by LavreS Stout I—Tue Down East Pray (After James Montgomery Flagg—and after him hard) Time: Christmas Eve. Place: Interior of a fisherman’s home. Maine. Characters: Wika, the father. Miranpa, the mother. Setu, the son. (Hiram and Miranba are discovered reading by the table. The wind is howling. Above the roar of the breakers faint calls for help are heard. Hiram and Miranpba show interest, then alarm; they peer through the windows into the darkness) Hiram: My God, Mirandy; there’s a schooner on the reef. (He wraps himself up, and hurries out with a lighted lantern. Miranpa busies herself preparing the couch for possible victims of the wreck. Hiram returns carrying a half drowned sailor, and deposits him on the couch) Miranpa: (Throwing herself upon the sailor)—Seth! My own dear son! See, Hiram, he’s come back to us on Christmas Eve. just like he promised! (‘They fuss over him until he comes to. Hiram removes his wraps, lights his pipe, and settles down) } Hiram: So ye've been sailorin’,ch? (Set nods yA) weakly) Been all over the world, I reckon. ch? (Setu nods) y