Puck — June 4, 1879 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two Puck cartoons satirizing Catholic charity practices. **Top cartoon** ("A Party who can Afford to Subscribe"): A well-dressed man at a shop counter labeled "C.O.D" (Cash on Delivery) purchases groceries and wine while a sign advertises "Convent C.O.D" with a $1,000 price. The satire suggests wealthy Catholics could "subscribe" to the Church through monetary donations rather than genuine piety. **Bottom cartoon** ("Purcell's Pence"): Children in ragged clothes kneel before church buildings with collection boxes, while a figure above (likely Archbishop Purcell) profits. The title references "Peter's Pence" (Catholic donations to Rome). The satire criticizes the Church extracting money from poor children while church leaders grow wealthy—portraying organized religion as exploitative rather than charitable. Both cartoons mock the contradiction between Catholic charity teachings and actual financial practices.