The Wasp, 1918 · page 66 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 66: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a narrative passage from a serialized story in *The Wasp* magazine, not a political cartoon. The text describes a scene where a character named Burnham tends to an unconscious young woman (identified as "the governor's daughter") by pouring water on her face to revive her. The passage emphasizes Burnham's courteous, deferential behavior—he bows, speaks respectfully, and expresses regret about his limited resources. The governor's daughter observes him with "frank curiosity and suspicion," noting his eyes are "fearless and honest." Without seeing prior context, it's unclear what satirical point *The Wasp* intends here. The interaction could be mocking excessive Victorian politeness, class dynamics, or the melodramatic conventions of adventure fiction. The reference to a "castaway" suggests a survival narrative, but without knowing the full story or the magazine's date and political leanings, the specific satire remains ambiguous.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 57 and uttered a cry of astonishment at sight of the young woman. “Get the water,” said Burnham, “and be ~ quick about it!” : Ten minutes later the girl sat up, then got "_ unsteadily to her feet. Her hair and face were ' dripping with the water which Burnham had poured over her with an unstinting hand. A delicate flame sprang alight in her cheeks. Burnham was upright on the instant. He bowed low, with modest eyes and an engaging smile. **J am at your service, madam,” he said. “Tf you will tell me the road to your father’s house, I will do my utmost to get you there | safely. You are too weak to stand. Sit down _ again, I beg of you, and rest a little longer. I _ regret vastly that I can offer you no better _ refreshment than this stale water.” The governor’s daughter sat down and leaned against the bole of a tree. She looked from Burnham to the lad, and back to Burnham, with frank curiosity and not a little suspicion in her glance. Her eyes were darker and finer than the castaway had at first thought them ; _and they were fearless and honest. “Who are you?” she asked. “ And what. comichooks.com