The Wasp — 1888 — page 234: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The central illustration depicts a woman in Victorian dress sitting at a writing desk, likely representing a female advice columnist or writer. The accompanying poem "The Little Woman" celebrates her modest appearance and intellectual capabilities—she's described as "divinely tall and fair" with "eyes undimmed by fortune's rays," suggesting understated merit rather than showy beauty. The satire appears to target the cultural stereotype of women as decorative rather than functional members of society. By contrast, the right column "Other Women's Husbands" uses a husband's perspective to ironically celebrate how other men's wives are admirable while his own wife is insufferable—mocking both male hypocrisy and marital discord. The overall point seems to be championing women's intellectual contributions while satirizing conventional gender roles and domestic friction.