Judge, 1920-09-04 · page 5 of 32
Judge — September 4, 1920 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Judge Magazine Page **The Cartoon (top):** This is a society drawing satirizing courtship among the wealthy. A nervous suitor asks an older gentleman (likely the girl's father) for permission to propose to "Miss George," expressing anxiety about acceptance. The father reassures him that "She always accepts"—suggesting the young woman is so eager to marry that she'll accept any proposal. The joke mocks both the girl's desperation and the formal ritual of asking paternal permission, standard among upper-class families of the era. **The Story Below:** "It's Great Stuff" is a comic fable about a shy, undersized young man at a dance who becomes emboldened after drinking, then attempts to impress a girl by punching someone. The satire targets masculine insecurity and alcohol-fueled bravado among young men navigating social situations. Both pieces humorously critique early 20th-century courtship customs and male anxiety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~Y Aone CIT EID. Drawn by M. Wexo Mr. De Peyster Miss Smythe—Don’t Let THAT Worry you, 7 Ist very sucn is rove with Miss Georce op tor. Sue Do you THINK sie Witt AccEPT ME? ALWAYS ACCEPTS. It’s Great Stuff A Little Fable for the Social Superman By Harry Irving Suumway NCE there was a little undersized brute who had a way with him. He was cousin to an atom but he had the feminine sense so locoed that he looked hero size The other boys were good and sore at this nought- size poacher, and had there been anything to punch he could have dared well considered himself punched. As it was, nobody had ever taken away his hunter’s license and it looked as if the baby nimrod would roam for many a season. The trouble with this moth was he had no anchor. All the blossoms looked sweet to him and he argued that the life of a flitter was hard to equal. So he flitted. A he-man cannot strike anybody half his size and retain his he-ness. Hence the flitting Clarence*bent his ardent glances on girls not his own and still retained his being. One night a young man who had about made up his mind to do an Enoch Arden, or a Brodie, sat amid the sheltering or sweltering palms at a dance, just wish- ing some Samson would come along and wreck the place. For the gir! of his heart was out there on the floor dancing with this fascinating half-portion. She had all the appearance of one who had lost her own address, and if suddenly asked the date would have been bunkered. Plainly the little vamp was whispering poisonous messages into her ear. The one in the palms swore softly, but very well for all that. He yearned for a good barrel stave and a woodshed; the target was in plain sight. Suddenly a silvery taugh brought the sufferer to bh nses, He turned. At first he thought it was two girls who had laughed, but on rubbing his eyes found it was really one. She had size everywhere You look as if you could murder somebody and then ap- plaud yourself after cleaning the bludgeon,” she said You have guessed correctly,” answered the young man. “But Tam hampered by what good sportsmen call fair play. If I could only get myself cut down to about half the size [am now, the problem would be simple. As it is I can only commit assault and battery telepathy, and that is like near-beer. The large girl seated herself by his side and the swelter- ing palms shook. “Explain it so a reader can understand you,” she said, plainly interested. “If there is anything I love it is carnage. Isn't it a pity that jousting bouts are so passé!” “It’s like this,” elaborated the young man. “Do you see that beautiful girl in pink? And when you observe her partner you will think you are looking down the wrong end of the opera glasses, but you are not; he really is that size. Well, that’s my girl, or was, and that insect has pinched her, doubtful as it looks.”