Judge, 1923-04-07 · page 5 of 36
Judge — April 7, 1923 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains a short story titled "Feminine Efficiency" illustrated by Gilbert Wilkinson, not a political cartoon. The story satirizes early 20th-century gender roles and romantic expectations. The illustration shows two men fishing, introducing a narrative about a young woman named Millicent who challenges social conventions. The story mocks the "modern woman" trope: Millicent efficiently manages multiple suitors simultaneously—dating Theodore, smoking cigarettes (scandalous for women then), and maintaining independence rather than passively awaiting marriage. The satire targets both the "new woman" who rejected traditional femininity and male assumptions about female behavior. The fishing scene's caption—about not knowing how long canned fish has been stored—ironically parallels uncertainty about women's true intentions and reliability, reflecting period anxieties about changing gender dynamics.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
n by Gitpert WILKINSON “I never eat canned fish—you never know how long it’s been in the can!” “That's a fact. Whereas, coming here day after day, we do know how long they've been in the water.” Dra Feminine Efficiency father up in Bradstreet’s with satisfactory duced a cigar, lighted the wrong end, * result. Theodore was an on! She burned his fingers with the match, and liked him, but then, she had liked quite a then threw the cigar awa I didn't Propaner no feminine system now in number of other different men, who had know you were going aw * he gurgled by William Sanford to determine whether — passed on. idioti is yy matrimonial — On the fourth week of their acquain- Millicent had observed all, but you intention is equal, or can in any way be — tance, as they sat on the bea at never would have known it. “Oh, yes,” | . with the going away story. remote from the others, Milli she replied, waxing enthusiastic, “A ient and thorough and will fully placed a militant tendril of hair girl friend of mine who was in my class | register effectively in most cases either back of her ear and patted the rest of her at college wants me to come and’ spend | pro or con. tresses with a professional touch. two months with her in New Hampshire. I will cite as an example the case of — militant tendril at once blew out She says it’s perfichly Millicent and Theodore Simply alance of her tresses looked just now. Of course I hate to leave e, Pm cause this is a typical case, containin, s before she did the patting, having such a good time, but I've never orthodox routine of third degree which, but. this is merely incidental. T' really been in the mountains for a long in the age case, should be sufficient spoke with a certain calm visit and I'm just crazy to go!” to determine. “Oh, I'm so glad!’ she said. Theodore received the second hypo- Millicent was twenty-four and Theo- ought to be a perfect moon next week dermic the next evening as they were 4 dore was twenty-six. The when I go aw: ‘ dancing the one-step. Millicent flecked spending the summer at Rockle Now this qui little invisible something from her the-Sea. Theodore was in his father’s going away jainty little hand and nd commuted back and forth to from a clear sky, so to speak. He had remarked casuall “TE must send nm the city. Millicent’ was at Rockledge heard nothing 7 isly about going — blue dress to the cleaners to-morrow, sé d aunt. away. He hi med that he would to have it to wear to the dances in the 1 taken up much of Milli. enjoy Millicent’s society until the end of mountains. Muriel says they have per- cent’s time, and she had not repulsed — the season, and then play with her when- 1 y dances up there! him. The evenings passed very pleas- ever he wanted to in the city. He we w Millicent’s little blue dress was antly with d. beach entertainments, disturbed, annoyed; a sudden cloud has Theodore’s favorite. He had often told twoing part the numerous other appeared to ru s pleasant evening. Milhcent how 1 she looked in it. It ancient routines of seashore summers. What would he do when Millicent went? was most distracting to his mind to think Millicent had, casually, looked Theodore’s He asked permission to smoke, pro- (Continued on page 17) 3 lovely up there \ , calm statement about ae to Theodore like a bolt waist with her d: comicbooks.com