The Wasp — 1895 — page 15: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains "The Oldmaid's Diary," a humorous serial story illustrated with sketches. The narrative describes New Year's Day social customs among San Francisco society in the early 1900s. The main story details a society hostess (Miss Twiggs) and her interactions with a Deacon, focusing on New Year's visiting traditions—where wealthy families would receive guests and serve elaborate refreshments. The humor centers on class pretensions and social climbing: the Deacon's pride is wounded when he learns Miss Twiggs served cheaper items than expected, and there are jokes about San Francisco versus Eastern (Maine) social conventions. The illustrated dialogue at page bottom shows domestic comedy about a woman's concerns with pastry and a skeptical response about dental work—typical domestic humor of the period.