The Wasp — 1889 — page 379: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains several short satirical stories and advertisements rather than political cartoons. The main content includes: **"Artemus Ward's Ghosts"** describes how a famous American humorist became successful lecturing about "ghostly" topics. The piece satirizes both the lecturer's financial success and the credulity of audiences. **"Stunned"** depicts a social interaction between characters including "Mr. De Montague" and "Miss Sharpe," using dialogue to mock pretentious social behavior and romantic posturing. **"Not a Man of His Word"** appears to ridicule broken promises in relationships. **"The Ruling Passion"** offers a brief anecdote about an elderly man nearing death, concerned with his wager on a horse race—satirizing misplaced priorities. The page emphasizes character-driven humor and social satire rather than visual political commentary typical of illustrated newspapers of this era.