Judge, 1920-12-25 · page 8 of 33
Judge — December 25, 1920 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The War by Easy Payments" This cartoon satirizes post-WWI consumer culture and war obsession. A husband and wife proudly display their home, which they've furnished almost entirely with war history books—filling bedrooms, dining room, spare room, and kitchen—purchased on an installment plan ("ten dollars down, and two dollars a month for fifty years"). The satire targets two things: first, the absurdity of a couple so consumed by war literature they've made it their primary home decoration, and second, the easy-credit purchasing schemes that allow them to accumulate this impractical collection. The wife's delight in this arrangement—boasting that books "give such an air of culture"—mockingly exposes how people use war narratives and book-collecting as status symbols rather than genuine intellectual engagement. The joke is that this couple has essentially mortgaged their future to fill their home with books about a war that just ended (two years post-armistice), neglecting actual comfort or practical decoration.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Deven by GB. Ixwooo C. r—Here’s YOUR SALARY FOR THE WEEK. rh—Tuanks, It Witt HELP PAY EXPENSES, The War by Easy Payments By A. H. Fouwett was two years after the armistice, and this home-loving | couple were showing us over their c litdle dwelling. “But what—,”” we began in amazement, whereat the little housewife began to clap her hands. “We knew you'd be astonishe she cried.“ Everybody is who comes here. It was an idea of Joe's; and think of the money it has saved us in decorating and wall-paper alone; to say noth- ing of pictures and picture frames. The books. as you can see, go up almost to the ceiling. As for shelves, we keep the books, bindings outward, in the big wooden boxes they came in. “Here, in the living-room, are histories which tell just exactly how the War started and who was to blame for it. They take up all the space except that occupied by the fireplace and the mantel shelf. Around the dining-room are books telling all about the invasion of Belgium and the War on the Western front. In our bedroom we are sur- rounded by books about the Eastern front, and the campaigns between Germany and Russia. The spare room—where you will sleep tonight has books about the Turkish, Mesopotamian and Italian campaigns; and down in the kitchen we have around the gas-stove books that tell all about the Balkans. “The books about America in the War are coming in gradually; the publishers say they won't be complete for some years yet; but when they are, we expect to move to a little larger house in the suburbs. But isn’t it just the nicest way to make a home look comfy? For, really, you know, was only ten dollars down, and two dollars a month for fifty years. That is, if you took, as Joc and I did, the War in Buckram. The War in Half-Calf, of course, was more.” Saying which, the litle housewife tripped lightly out into the Balkans to get dinner. Youl-a-Leity By La Toucne: Hancock ‘ other wits and other bards les at Christmas tell, Or praise on cheap and colored cards The time all love so well Secure from scorn and ridicule I hope my verse may be, Tf I can still remember Yule. And Yule remember me! The days are dark, the days are drear, When dull December dies, But, while we mourn on ended year, Another's star will rise. T hail the season formed by rule For merriment and glee. So let me still remember Yule, And Yule remember me! ‘The rich plum pudding I enjoy, I greet the pie of mince, And, loving both while yet a boy, Have loved them ever since. More dull were I than any mule That eyes did ever see If I should not remember Yule, And Yule remember met Mean Trick “That woman is a cat.” “How so?” “LT went shopping with her and now she as gone and told my husband what he is going to give me for Christmas.” Rejected Mss. Isabel Stokes Has lost her jokes And cannot tell where she consigned them; Leave them alone And they'll come home With the editor’s tale behind them. there is nothing like books. They give such an air Draen by Nate Cousens toa place; such an atmosphere of culture. And it “For tn’ BoGeyMAN WILL Git you EF vo’ DON’ WATCH OUT.”