Judge — April 14, 1923 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Sport of Saying 'Good-by'" This satirical comic by Weed depicts the theatrical rituals of farewell—particularly railway station partings, a common early-20th-century scenario. The humor centers on how people transform simple goodbyes into elaborate, performative acts. The sketches show various exaggerated departure scenes: an emotional embrace with luggage, a man missing his 7:52 train while prolonging farewells, and a "mixed quartet" dramatically performing their goodbyes "with Tosti's Good-by" (referencing the sentimental song by Paolo Tosti). The satire mocks the excessive sentimentality and social pretense surrounding departures—treating mundane train journeys as dramatic theatrical events. The subtitle "sometimes the parting is permanent" adds dark humor, suggesting people stage these performances even for temporary absences. The cartoon captures period anxieties about emotional authenticity versus social performance in upper-class society.