Judge, 1920-05-22 · page 12 of 36
Judge — May 22, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation of Judge Magazine Page Content This page contains two satirical stories reflecting early 20th-century social attitudes: **"The New 'Fish' Story"** (top): A working-class shoe clerk in worn clothes asks a well-dressed woman of high social standing to carry her shoes home. She accepts, and they marry. The satire mocks the era's obsession with class distinction—the newspaper announcement emphasizes her family's "oldest families" pedigree while reducing him to his employment at the "Busy Bee Shoe Store." Their honeymoon dialogue reveals the real joke: she's grateful he married *down* to her, while he resents the financial gap between her wealth and his meager ten-dollar weekly wage. The satire critiques both rigid class consciousness and the awkwardness of cross-class marriages. **"The Usual Thing"** (bottom): A man complains of illness to a friend, who suggests seeing a doctor. He refuses, claiming it's old-fashioned to bore people with health complaints—now men simply "march in parades" and demand reform instead. This satirizes contemporary progressive activism, suggesting reformers exploit personal grievances for public causes rather than addressing them privately.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Tur New * Fis” Story “Oh, well. Gimme them.” he girl sat still and looked into her lap. The dark blue lawn was fading. The hands were pointing to six. ‘The clock struck. The clerk twirled his hat in his hand and frowned “Tf you have an engagement don’t let me detain you,” she sweetly said Would you mind asking Jim to lock up after you She nodded. The burly man br it her the shoes “Very nice indeed. How quickly you wo lifted her pansy eyes. ‘Would you mind very much wrapping them for me?” “Just as soon. But I ain't much at wrapping.” She noticed that his work clothes had been replaced by a street suit of rich, dark blue. His She tie was of a soft gray brocade ‘The shoe box under his arm was crushing his handsome soft Stet- son. She box eld out her hand for the Live far from here?” he growled. “Only two miles or so.” “Suppose I carry the shoes home for you?” Drown by R. B, Fete Now? Weiter—Whar “Yes, ma'am.” “WI will “You are too kind.” “That’s nothin’.” “If you won’t be ashamed to walk with me! You are so much better dressed than I.” lh, come on. I ain't proud.” They were married in the autumn. The news- paper said: “Miss Imogen Knickerbocker’s looked-for . brilliant marriage occurred yesterday. Miss Knicker- bocker, who belongs to one of our oldest families and is the president of the cc lege women’s association and a teacher in our public schools, was led to the altar by Mr. James Conley, who is prominently connected with the Busy Bee She Store. They left at once the bridegroom’s mag- nificent limousine for a motor trip to Old Orchard. Sinking into the luxu- rious cushions of her lord’s car the bride lifted her pansy eyes to his face. “T will be teful to mes dear,” she said. you all my lif “What fo “For marrying me despite the gulf that yawned between our earning capacity. You with your hundred and twenty a week and I with my poor little ten!” The Usual Thing By Tou P. Morcasx “[ AM in great distress,” stated J. Fuller Gloom. “I have a griping pain in my stomach and a rackin My tongue is covered with gray fuzz, and whatever I eat dis with me outrageously.” “You should consult Dr. Smart. I um sure ache in my augre he can do something for you.” “No doubt, but Iam not as old- Al fashioned as all that. It used to be \ff the thing to go to a physician, and — while he was endeavoring to bring you t of the kinks, bore your friends, ac quaintances and even total strangers, with all the details of your ailment and mir-tte descriptions of your every symptom. But nowaways when a man gets the stomach-ache he marches in parades, secures a hall at somebody clse’s expense, denounces everything and atten but himself.” to reform everybody Fortnightly Affairs She—My birthday is next Tues- day. My twenty-fourth! He~This year? comicbooks.com