The Wasp — 1890 — page 96: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a serialized narrative poem with illustrations titled "Of the Revival of the Corpse," depicting a fantastical underwater scene. The story involves McGinty discovering a mermaid and reviving a drowned corpse—possibly a sailor—found in ocean waters. The illustrations show characters in a mermaid's cave with sea creatures. The satirical element is unclear without additional context, though the absurdist scenario of corpse revival and merman/mermaid encounters suggests mockery of sensationalist journalism or supernatural claims popular in 19th-century entertainment. Section V addresses "restoration to the bosom of his family," implying the corpse's miraculous return. The Wasp's satirical intent likely targets either contemporary obsessions with the macabre or specific social figures, but specific references require additional historical context to identify with certainty.