The Wasp, 1913 · page 196 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 196: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a serialized fiction excerpt rather than a political cartoon. The page presents a dramatic scene between a woman holding a small knife and a man named James Burnham, surrounded by sailors. The scene depicts a stock Victorian melodrama trope: a mysterious, elegantly-dressed woman confronting a rogue male character. Burnham's patronizing dialogue—appealing to chivalry and flattery to disarm her—suggests he's a charming scoundrel attempting to manipulate her through feigned gallantry. The "tough rascals" admiring her reinforces the theatrical nature of this confrontation. Without additional context about *The Wasp* magazine's publication date or the serialization's broader narrative, the specific satirical target remains unclear. However, this likely mocks either contemporary Victorian romance conventions or specific social/political figures through fictional parody.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 191 She wore a long robe of flowered silk, its open neck displaying the white pillar of her throat and a flake of her white breast; its short sleeves discov- ering her round white arms. Her left hand was pressed to her bosom, and in her right hand she held a knife no thicker than a bodkin ; but her eyes gave no sign of either fear or fury. A smile touched her crimson lips, and her gaze wavered from James Burnham’s face. The tough rascals in the door openly swore their ad- miration. Burnham bowed. “This is an unexpected pleasure, my dear madam,” he said. “May I make so bold as to ask you for the pretty toy in your hand—not your heart, madam, but the thing in your right hand? You have nothing to fear from the worthy marin- ers at my back. Like myself, your most humble and devoted servant, they are veritable lambs in the presence of a lady.” The woman looked at him wide-eyed, with even more than her former interest. Comichooks.com