Judge, 1924-03-08 · page 7 of 36
Judge — March 8, 1924 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The End of a Perfect Week" This satirical poem by Eileen Henderson mocks the romantic idealization of marriage through a working-class love story. The "hero" is an ordinary laborer who diligently saves his salary to marry. He impulsively proposes, and the woman quickly accepts. However, the satire reveals the harsh reality: once married, she cannot manage a household—cannot bake or cook—forcing them to frequent restaurants for meals, a significant financial drain. The man, despite his misgivings about losing his independence and financial security, forgives her "as man has always done," accepting his domesticated fate. The illustrations depict the couple's decline from romantic courtship to the mundane struggles of married life. The cartoon critiques both women's alleged domestic incompetence and men's resigned acceptance of marriage's financial and personal costs. It reflects early 20th-century anxieties about changing gender roles and modern women's rejection of traditional household duties.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Verses by Eileen Merderson. 7 | uurhero was the common sort, when all is said and done; He worked his head off daily and was out to get the The ae jal ies diligence ‘was common-place, He tried to Swell his salary soit would do And maybe thath the reason why one day he lost his head But he forgave he her everything ~as man hag e ways He may have t! ht this sudden, but it seemed not so to her; She lisped a guick acceptance and said forcibly th But when they went jo hearing house ‘d ms that he would die For, ch, es stern maiden could neither She could not run a bungalow, orevenrun a flat So on many sad occasions in a restaurant they ‘When she presented himonedaya bouncing baby