Judge, 1921-12-31 · page 28 of 37
Judge — December 31, 1921 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several short satirical pieces mocking early 20th-century social conventions and attitudes: **"Her Vanity Case"** (poem): Satirizes women's vanity and superficiality. The central joke is that a woman obsessively uses her compact mirror in every situation—lectures, church, even during a house fire—prioritizing appearance over genuine concerns. The dark humor culminates in suggesting she'll haunt the afterlife searching for it, implying her vanity defines her entire existence. **"Her Selection"** and other brief jokes mock courtship rituals and gender expectations of the era, with humor deriving from unexpected practical choices (taxi over risk-taking) determining marriage prospects. **"The Young Idea"** uses a child's innocent logic to expose adult pretense—the mother decorates a rug for appearance rather than function, prompting the child to suggest hiding it under the bed. The bottom comic strip appears unrelated, featuring a character named Jonah with a bird. Overall, the page reflects 1920s-era satire targeting feminine vanity, materialism, and social artifice.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Of course, my boy, when I was your age I sowed a few wild oats.” “You're a lucky beggar to have had your fling before oats got so beastly tame.” HER SELECTION Mabel—How ever did you make up your mind to marry George instead of John? Helen—Very simple. I went out with each on a dark day. John said: “It looks like rain, but we'll take a chance.” George said: “It looks like rain. We'll take a taxi.” THE YOUNG IDEA “Whose room are you making the rug for?” asked a little girl of her mother. “Why, this is for my room, and I'm making it real nice, and it’s more for looks than to be walked on.” “Well, you better put it under the bed, then.” Her Vanity Case By Pearl Whitney WHEN she stopped at the market, or paid social calls, She took out her vanity case, She used it in old university halls, While they lectured on Ein- stein and space; And entering church, as she dropped on her knees, She’d powder her nose just a bit, if you please, And her cheeks would grow pinker by several degrees When she took out her vanity case. Men hustled her furniture out of the fire; She took out her vanity case And sat on the curb as the flames mounted higher And daintily fixed up her face; The house was insured, never mind if it burned, The firemen and neighbors seemed too much con- cerned! To bear things with calmness was easily learned When she took out her vanity case. But one day she died, and her kindred all said, “Shall we take out her vanity case, Or leave it with her in the coffin? Though dead She'll rise from her burial- place And restlessly wander for many a year With groanings and moanings to find it, we fear; No, let us make sure in some happier sphere She can take out her vanity MISUNDERSTOOD Patron—Have you frog legs? Waitress—Quit your kidding, and give your order. PREPARATION “Jones seems to be cultivating a foreign accent. “Yes. He intends to become a socialist speaker. Jonah goes with a bird to visit the sage of Mulberry Bend comicbooks.com