Judge — October 25, 1919 — page 32: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This comic strip by Merrell De Maris satirizes how married couples' affection changes over time. The "thermometer" tracks emotional temperature through rain scenes: - **Married one week**: Couple shares one umbrella, huddled close and romantic - **Married one month**: Still together under umbrella, noticeably less intimate - **Married one year**: Both under umbrella but clearly distant - **Married five years**: Each holds separate umbrella, completely disconnected - **Married ten years**: Two figures far apart in heavy rain, indifferent to each other The joke satirizes the common belief that marital passion and togetherness inevitably decline with time. Rain symbolizes life's challenges, which the couple initially faces together but eventually endures separately. It's a cynical commentary on marriage expectations versus reality—a recurring theme in early-20th-century satirical magazines like *Judge*.