The Wasp, 1913 · page 128 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 128: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be from a serialized fiction story rather than a political cartoon. It depicts a flirtation scene between James Burnham and Elizabeth (the governor's daughter), with romantic tension created through Burnham's suggestive compliment. The satire is social rather than political: it mocks the superficiality of male attraction and courtship conventions of the era. Burnham's behavior—his meaningful glance implying Elizabeth is "beautiful" while dismissing another woman (Kitty Trimmer)—satirizes manipulative flirtation tactics. Elizabeth's response, with her "wide" eyes and strategic modesty, parodies feminine performance in courtship. The passage critiques how Burnham responds to "glittering attractions" of superficial charm (Kitty) over Elizabeth's deeper intellectual qualities, suggesting commentary on shallow Victorian courtship values and gendered social dynamics. Without additional context about *The Wasp's* publication date or this story's arc, the specific targets remain unclear.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 125 the regiment, I hear. A pretty little thing, don’t you think?” “Oh, I should call her more than pretty,” replied the governor’s daughter. “I think she is lovely! I think she is beautiful!” “Lovely? Beautiful?’ repeated Burnham con- sideringly. “No, my dear lady, I should not call her beautiful” ; and he looked at his companion with a glance that said, as plainly as words, that he knew to whom he would apply that term if he dared. Elizabeth opened her eyes wide upon him in ten- derness, wonder, and allurement for a fraction of a second, then veiled them and turned her softly tinted face away from him. Her eyes were no brighter than Kitty’s; but they were more versatile, finer, deeper in meaning. James Burnham, being what he was, felt the charms of Elizabeth with his mind rather than his heart. His nature was more responsive to the glit- tering attractions of little Kitty Trimmer. Burnham met Kitty formally that same evening. Comichooks.com