Judge, 1920-02-07 · page 11 of 36
Judge — February 7, 1920 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Miss Clancy Dissembles" — Judge Magazine Satire This story satirizes early 20th-century corporate culture and gender dynamics. Miss Clancy, an aging, unmarried stenographer for the "Little Nemo" company, is summoned by her boss, Mr. Jitney (a "big, good-natured" manager). The satire targets Jitney's hypocrisy: he lectures Miss Clancy that his female employees need "constant reminders" they're not attending "matrimonial prep school" — implying women should focus on work, not marriage. Yet moments later, he reveals his wife has just given birth to a son ("Little George"), which he celebrates despite his own moralizing about proper female behavior. The joke exposes the double standard: Jitney demands professional dedication from his female staff while simultaneously embracing traditional family life for himself. Miss Clancy's nervous reaction ("blanched") underscores the awkwardness of his self-contradiction. The accompanying illustration labeled "The First Move" appears to be a separate, unrelated cartoon about transportation or machinery.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Deven by Cuesten LC I like you, ght these tire ¢ a liberal discount Miss Clancy Dissembles y Agtuuk C CLANCY, Colonel of Little Nemo Steno- Broons graphic Corps, amanuensis par excellence, in years beyond forty to the point of tears, inveterate spinster, plump but passé posy, re- garded the letter in her hand The score of typewriters, rattling like innocuous machine-guns, caused Miss Clancy to squint needlessly as she read It, the poorly phrased communi- cation, purported to be from the T. Orchur Corset Company, and was signed, “I. Cohen, Supt.” It was a formal offer to relieve the Little Nemo Company of twelve gross of old-style ladies’ garters, at_ bed-rock prices; to be delivered positively free of expense to I. Cohen. The buzzer sounded strenuously ; e little metal arrow whirred to Miss Clancy’s ironic symbol; and Miss Clancy rose nervously. ‘The button on the other end had been punched with a vehemence that expressed either rantipole rage or jubilant joy. In all her years of service Miss Clancy had never mastered the pre- liminary emotion invariably at- tendant on an electric call trom her chief. Now, her eyes significantly t, she tiptoe the rubber stri closed door of the Gen- eral Manager's private Miss Clancy inserted her head and voice you r No; come Nicholas Jitney big, good-natured “Sit down, please dicating a mahogany chair. vod-morning. Miss Clancy She teetered the room and alighted on the extreme anteri- ority of the desig- “And [ve commenced to pla as I wantit to go. . My hope to be a revular George, and not a Georgette. “When he’s ready for coll {him to go to Dartvard ather and I did before Ima Fi Bita Fle modestly Miss Clancy nodded “Then, when he’s ready to fgit, I want to retire to Garden City and turn things over to him. I expect, with his young, modern aggressive- he'll take hold and shake this and man, my ness, old establishment to the roots everyone in it!” Miss Clancy fully blanched — fear- nated chair. * Good -morn- ing, Mr. Jitney,” she returned. “Ahem! Miss Clancy, how are things going on out there She stared at his feet “Well,” she complained, 1 rls are stil in irls, 1 nice take it.” inte posed the General Manage “And as such they need co stant reminders that they have matriculated mart of Mammon, and not a matri- monial prep school. However,” magnanimously, “I’m content to leave that end of it to you ow, Miss Clancy, the called you in here you that Mrs Here the Genera! into a reason | was to tell Jitney—" Manager became scarlet and looked as if he longed to crawl into his roll-top and pull the cover down over him. “Mrs Jitney — has—er—anticipated the future needs of the nation, and has contributed to its mas- culine personnel. If you know what I mean.” “Oh—a boy Clancy, and burst “Yes.” Mr. Jitney smil foolishly and punched his fists “Little George 2” asked Mis threatened to together And a bustei pounds, by gac Miss Clancy enthused plat- Thank acknowl- edged the fond father. you,” Deven by MeN. Peo Tue First Movi comicbooks.com