Judge, 1927-12-10 · page 7 of 36
Judge — December 10, 1927 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "How Christmas Came to Mr. Nabisco" This is a holiday allegorical story by Sidney J. Perelman, not a political cartoon. The narrative describes Mr. Nabisco, a poor lonely old man living in a tenement, who receives an unexpected Christmas visit from a boy named Bruce Greenstein. The story appears to be a sentimental piece about charitable Christmas spirit—contrasting Mr. Nabisco's isolation and poverty with the kindness of strangers. The boy arrives bearing gifts (milk and newspapers), embodying the season's generosity toward the less fortunate. The illustration shows Mr. Nabisco by his fireplace, surrounded by holly decorations. This seems a straightforward, earnest holiday tale meant to appeal to Judge readers' sentimentality rather than satirize social conditions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGK a HOW CHRIST AS CAME TO MR. NABIS Well, gents, here is a quaint little Yuletide yarn I pasted to- gether out of old meat scraps and bits of gingham I found in. the attic. It’s shot through and through with all sorts of whimsy and fantasy and it’s all about a lonely old man named Mr. Na- bisco and a poor little waif named Bruce Greenstein. And after you've finished it, I'd like to ask you to pause a moment and then go out and get cock-eyed. It was Christmas Eve and the snow was driving down over the city as thick as “gruel, wrapping everything in its mantle of virgin white and causing the manufac- turers of snow shovels inexpress- ible joy. Everybody was brimming over with good will and bad gin except a little lonely old man in the incredibly exclusive duplex rtment on the fortieth floor of the new Sherry-Gold- blatt Towers Hotel. This poor old man, whose only protection against starvation was the ownership of four banks, a railroad, and two steamship com- panies, was named Mr. Nabisco. Mr. abisco, of course, was not his true name; he really called “Jake,” but this is a Christmas fantasy. So Mr. Nabisco was sitting in front of a roaring log fire in his genuine quattrocento fireplace dejectedly sipping a cointreau A Holiday Allegory By SIDNEY J. PERELMAN and reflecting that on this of all nights he was alone. Mr. Na- bisco’s man, : trusty old) peon named Morris, was clearing away the few dinner dishes. “Morris,” said old Mr. Na bisco suddenly, “I want you to go out into the street and bring in the first newsboy you meet. He must be shivering with cold, dressed in’ patched but neat clothes, and of bright and wholesome appearan “Yes, sir,” replied Morris wearily, wishing fervently that Oliver Optic had been run over when he was a boy. Fifteen minutes later, the door opened and in came Morris, his Mr. Nabisco was sitting in front of a roaring log fire. face blue with cold. With him was a small boy about twelve years old urrying a large bundle N up and led the shivering boy by the hand to the fire. “Poor child!” he said kindly. “to think that you should have to sell papers on a night like of newspapers. Mr. Nabisco got this! What is your name, laddie “Laddie boy?” asked the urchin suspiciously. “What do I look like, a collie?” “Ha, ha!” smiled the old man. “Lmean, what is your Christian name, my bo “Bruce Greenstein,” was the reply, “and no er: either.” “Morris,” ordered Mr. Nabisco, “Bruce is probably bring him a small glass of milk right While he gave the order, Bruce slid the bottle of cointreau expertly under his jacket and looked ap praisingly around the room. They sat down before the fire: Mr Nabisco questioned the waif and learned cks from you, hungry : away.” that he was support ing an invalid mother and three sisters just like in all Christmas fantasie As a mat ter of fact, he was selling papers to buy a magic lantern, but little Bruce was no body's fool. “Well,” said Mr. Nabisco after Bruce (Continued on page 28) comicbooks.com