Judge, 1931-06-27 · page 11 of 37
Judge — June 27, 1931 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page contains two unrelated satirical pieces from *Judge* magazine: **Top cartoon:** A society joke about a young woman returning from Vassar College (an elite women's institution). The caption "I see the Smith girl is back from Vassar" appears to mock wealthy families' social pretensions—suggesting her return is notable gossip among the upper classes. **Main story:** "Good News From the Country" satirizes rural life and early telephone technology. A woman calls her husband in New York, struggling with poor phone connection while breathlessly reporting domestic disasters: a child bitten (possibly by a snake), another child with poison ivy, and she herself having fallen off a horse. The humor lies in her contradicting herself ("don't get upset") while describing catastrophes, and the absurdity of outdated telephone service. The author (Lippmann) mocks both rural incompetence and city-dwellers' anxiety about country living. **Bottom cartoon:** Shows a child asking about a ball in a snowy scene—likely commenting on winter sports or children's play, though context is unclear without the caption.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Hm—I see the Smith girl is back from Vassar.” Good News From the Country “Ft hello, Is that you, Henry? I'm talking as loud as I can. I'm shouting into the mouthpiece this minute. T ildren? Oh, all right. V a minute, an awful buzz on the line, Operator! Operator! I'm. talking with my husband in New York. Can't you clear up this connection? , better. Hello, Henry. We're and happy except for Tommy, who was bitten by something tod said he was bitten. B-i-t-t-e-n. al right. We don’t know what it was, but a lady here named Suesskind says it looks like a snake bite. Now don't get excited, dear. I'm sure it will be all right. Yes, Anna is fin got a sore throat and poison No, you can't say hello to her. She has to remain in bed for a few days. Now please, darling, don't get so upset. I won't phone you again if you carry on so. How am I? Oh, great, Henry. I said great. I fell off a horse yes- terday. Off a horse. H-o-r-s-e. Vl be all right in a few days, though. Now don't you worry about us, di The country is doing us heaps o good. I'll call you tomorrow and— Oh, yes, Henry, you better put a check in the mail for me. Well, good- bye, dear. G-o-0-d-bye!” —Anrtnur L. Lirpmann “What's th’ ball for, Mister?” comicbooks.com