The Wasp — 1878 — page 273: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page contains multiple short humor pieces and anecdotes rather than a single cartoon. The header illustration shows a figure riding a wheel labeled "Testimony" - likely satirizing unreliable or exaggerated courtroom testimony. The text pieces mock various social behaviors: a man obsessed with his "cross" (possibly a religious or personal affliction); fashion absurdities like unequal trouser legs; women's posture in church; and working-class aspirations regarding circus employment. Several anecdotes ridicule Boston society, particularly a lengthy story about purchasing a stove and haggling over its condition. The humor relies on dialect humor and class-based comedy common to 1880s American satire. Without identifying specific political figures, the overall tone suggests *Wasp's* typical approach: mocking pretension, foolishness, and social pretense across various classes and institutions.