The Wasp — 1896 — page 639: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page combines satirical fiction with period advertising. "The Old Maid's Diary" is a humorous short story mocking wealthy San Francisco society women who complain about tedious summer social obligations—country clubs, polo matches, and maintaining appearances. The narrator critiques their frivolous concerns: spending money on fashionable resorts while claiming poverty, enduring mosquito bites and sunburns, and facing social pressure to remain visible in high society. The accompanying illustration shows a fashionably dressed woman, emphasizing the satire's target: superficial upper-class anxieties. The page also features A.H. Ricketts, identified as a legal authority, and advertisements for champagne and skin remedies—typical period commercial content.