The Wasp — 1896 — page 22: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This illustration depicts two figures in period dress (likely late 1800s) with the caption "A HOLIDAY PUZZLE" and dialogue suggesting domestic marital tension. The woman asks the man "What did you do to me Christmas?" and he responds with increasingly defensive excuses about being careless and brushing her clothes. The "puzzle" appears to satirize marriage dynamics and male evasiveness—a common theme in Victorian-era satirical magazines. The humor relies on the tension between the woman's pointed accusations and the man's stammering deflections about mundane household matters, suggesting infidelity or other marital misconduct hidden behind trivial explanations. This reflects *The Wasp*'s tendency toward social satire about contemporary relationships and gender dynamics.