The Wasp — 1878 — page 221: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents the opening installment of a serialized story titled "At the Door: Part I—The First Meeting." It is primarily **text-based fiction rather than a cartoon**. The narrative concerns Shirley Edwards, a young woman visiting London on March 17, 1886. She encounters a gentleman caller (Mr. Edwards) at her residence, triggering romantic complications and social commentary typical of Victorian-era satire. The story explores themes of courtship etiquette, class dynamics, and women's social constraints. No identifiable political figures or specific caricatures appear on this page. The satire targets **general social conventions** of the period—particularly rigid rules governing unmarried women's behavior and romantic interactions—rather than specific public figures or events.