The Wasp, 1913 · page 233 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 233: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains prose narrative rather than cartoons—it appears to be a serialized story from *The Wasp* satirical magazine. The passage depicts a confrontation between Alexander Burnham and an official (possibly a colonial governor or authority figure named Nash) regarding Alexander's brother, whose disreputable past in England has become public knowledge on an island. The satire targets Alexander's wounded pride: he's mortified that his family shame is exposed and that people now pity him. Nash's working-class bluntness—declaring brotherly loyalty transcends scandal—contrasts with Alexander's aristocratic obsession with family honor and reputation. The passage illustrates *The Wasp's* typical social satire: mocking upper-class vanity and the gap between genteel pretense and honest human decency. Alexander's suffering from pity rather than condemnation reveals the magazine's irreverent take on class sensibilities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
228 THE WASP this, and at last he invited the sailor into his office and told him about Sir Walter’s letter. Alexander’s face grew white, then red as fire. “It is true, sir,” he said. ‘I should have told you myself, I suppose; but you seemed fond of him, he had done no harm here—and, after all, he is my own brother. I do not deny that my father had to send him away from England; but I had no wish to blacken his name and my own on this island, where he evidently comported himself like a man of heart and breeding. The story is now common property, I imagine; and doubtless you will be glad to see as little of any Burnham as possible in the future.” “What d’ye mean?” roared Nash. “D’ye think Td circulate the story? And d’ye think I’d hold the sins of one brother against another? Lad, you are welcome to my house every day and every hour.” Alexander thanked his excellency somewhat gloomily and wished him good day. His pride of name and blood was cut deep. Nash was sorry for him! -Elizabeth pitied him! Pity was an emotion which he had no ambition to inspire in any breast. Comichooks.com