The Wasp — 1890 — page 216: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical cartoon titled "The Vanishing Trick" depicting a social comedy about a disappearing husband. The illustration shows a woman confronting what appears to be her husband's associates, asking whether he's home. The dialogue reveals a classic domestic scenario: the husband has vanished, and various excuses are offered—one character suggests he's unavoidably detained, another claims ignorance. The cartoon satirizes male irresponsibility and the social awkwardness of marital absence. The humor relies on the period's familiar domestic tensions: husbands evading wives, unclear whereabouts, and the elaborate social fiction maintained around such disappearances. The illustrated reactions suggest this was recognizable social commentary for The Wasp's readers.