Puck, 1879-02-12 · page 8 of 16
Puck — February 12, 1879 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes "charity" through multiple scenes showing hypocrisy. **Top left**: A woman asks her husband for $500 for a "Charity Ball"—a wealthy social event. **Top right**: The caption "Charity's Flower and Fairy Dance" depicts elaborately dressed children, mocking how charity events prioritize spectacle over actual aid. **Middle**: A man references George Washington to convince "Joanna" to contribute "for sweet Charity's sake"—using patriotic manipulation for donations. **Bottom**: "Calculating Youth" shows a man reasoning that children's expensive clothes could support families for weeks, questioning whether charity truly helps the poor or merely enables wealthy people's social performances. The cartoon criticizes how the wealthy use charity events for entertainment and social status rather than genuine concern for the needy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, “Pa, 1 want $500 for my dress for the “Charity” Ball.” “Remember, Joanna, if I'm George Washington and you're Marthy, it’s for sweet “‘Charity’s” sake.” Catcuatinc Youru, ‘Wy, Bill, the price of them clothes would support you ‘n’ me fur more’n a week.” f comicbooks.com