The Wasp, 1913 · page 278 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 278: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **narrative fiction**, not a political cartoon. It's from a serialized story appearing in *The Wasp*, a San Francisco satirical magazine. The passage describes Alexander Burnham learning that his brother James—notorious for a "bloody reputation" among Caribbean islands—commanded the ship *Wasp*. Captain Robinson and his officers diplomatically express sympathy for Alexander, hoping family shame won't distress him. Alexander's reaction reveals character: he's offended by their pity rather than embarrassed by his brother's notoriety. The text suggests he finds their condescension insulting—"Pity was ever a dose to offend a Burnham gullet"—implying the Burnham family values pride above respectability. The satire targets genteel hypocrisy: officers maintain official silence about the *Wasp's* identity while the crew gossips freely, and their "polite and mournful" sympathy masks barely-concealed scorn.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 273 made a bloody reputation for himself up and down the islands as the Wasp was a Burnham. He had that on his back which proved it; and he had ad- mitted that he was none other than James Burnham, the same who had lived for some time on Nevis. Of course, the men knew about it and would talk; but Captain Robinson and the officers would keep their mouths shut on the subject, and no official announcements of the Wasp’s identity would be made. Captain Robinson and the six officers present were all very sorry for Alexander, spoke of the respect in which the Burnham family was held, and hoped that Alexander would not allow the behavior of his brother to prey upon his mind. Alexander listened with an ashen face and veiled eyes. He thanked the captain and the other gentle- men ina dull voice. He glanced around at the pity- ing faces. Pity! Pity was ever a dose to offend a Burnham gullet. What had he, Alexander, ever done to provoke pity? And perhaps some of this pity was not entirely unmixed with scorn. And it might be that some of these polite and mournful Comichooks.com