The Wasp — 1889 — page 267: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two satirical pieces: **"Mr. and Mrs. Bowser"** is a humorous domestic dialogue about business correspondence. Mr. Bowser sends money to a magazine subscription service but receives no acknowledgment. His wife suggests writing a complaint letter, but he refuses, fearing it won't help. The satire mocks both incompetent business practices of the era and husbands' stubborn resistance to their wives' practical advice. **"A King Outwitted"** recounts how Captain Rittgenstein, a maimed Prussian soldier, successfully petitioned King Frederick for a pension after losing an arm at Hochkirch. Frederick initially refused but ultimately granted it after the captain's clever persistence, allowing the old soldier to reach Berlin. The satire satirizes bureaucratic obstruction and military indifference toward disabled veterans. Both pieces critique institutional inefficiency and authority figures' callousness.