Judge, 1919-12-06 · page 8 of 36
Judge — December 6, 1919 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains satirical short jokes and a longer poem, all Christmas-themed, typical of Judge magazine's humor circa early 20th century. **The jokes mock contemporary situations:** - "Touching Thoughtfulness" satirizes postal service paranoia—a mail carrier rushes delivery assuming the package contains a "time bomb," reflecting anxieties about anarchist violence common in that era. - "The Doctor—Wrong Ring" plays on miscommunication. - "Took a Mean Advantage" jokes about a butcher cheating a newlywed by selling undersized poultry. - "A Model Young Man" mocks a vain young man obsessed with advertising his expensive collar. **The long poem "Ballad of 'The Good Old Times'"** (by Richard LeGallienne) is nostalgic satire—an old man mourns the loss of Christmas cheer and traditional merriment, blaming modern "Pedant and Prude" for killing joy. The poem ironically celebrates disappearing "folly and fun." **The illustration** shows two figures in an outdoor scene, captioned "This Is Christmas, Eve" / "I don't give, Adam"—likely referencing the biblical Adam, playing on "give" versus "Adam" as a pun or moral commentary on generosity. The page emphasizes Judge's satirical tone about modern life's absurdities and nostalgia for earlier traditions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Touching Thoughtfulness Dasher—This parcel post package is be- ing delivered in unusually quick time. How do you account for it? Mail Carrier—The deapartment thought it contained a time bomb, sir Getting and Giving I love the Christmas-tide, and yet I notice this each year I live I never like the gifts I get, But how I love the gifts I give! The Doctor—Wrong Ring “Hello! Yes, Ican come What seems to be the trouble “Engine trouble.” nediately Took a Mean Advantage Mrs. Newbride—John, Dear, 1 think that horrid butcher cheated me —Why, My Love? l cause, he didn’t ea blessed bit of stu Id ea turkey it cund A Model Young Man of all Christmas cheer, I lean and stunned ched beer; enile tear nd now s I { Io that was The rev young Van Sapj ey by the sweat of his brow! y the Set of his brow. You sex lar advert ments.” oursed—cheek And thus he me “O Good Old Times that Shrunk was ‘The holly nw was dre I cried: “Old end—O why so “My usefulness must seek g nm] My warm old heart is no m« nd punch are fled 1 meat is made with grap “Old fashioned mirth is now like poison shunned, Pedant and Prude have sought, this many a vear Joy-of-Life to kill,”"—the man punned And now she lies upon her watery bier; Soon Human ure must quite disappear Frowned far away all folly and all fun; Methinks the Day of Doom is drawing near ©) Good Old Times that are forever go ENVOI Prince—thus the old man’s plaint fell But of consoling words I found n Why do we let these kill-joys domin To Hang on the Organ Motto for the average choral society: I.ord, have mercy on us mt s Is Christmas, Eve.” jon't give, Adam.” 1261