The Wasp — 1878 — page 267: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* contains a serialized short story by Miss Josephine Clifford titled "A Phantom Tragedy," not a political cartoon. The narrative describes a soldier's return home after military service, his estrangement from family, and his troubled relationship with an uncle named Rosenhagen over inherited property. The story appears to be a melodramatic gothic tale involving family conflict, mysterious circumstances, and the protagonist's psychological distress. It contains no clear political satire or social commentary visible on this page—instead, it's literary fiction typical of period magazines that mixed humor with serialized fiction for reader engagement.