The Wasp — 1891 — page 278: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising** (insurance companies, shipping firms, gem beds) with one small political cartoon titled "Sunday Fish." The cartoon depicts two figures by water: a working-class man (labeled "Johnny") and a well-dressed gentleman in a top hat (labeled "Minister"). Johnny asks innocently, "I don't expect to meet you in heaven" while the Minister responds, "What'er been doin' now?" The satire targets **class hypocrisy and religious sanctimony**. The implication is that the Minister—despite his pious appearance and religious position—is somehow morally compromised or corrupt, making his path to heaven questionable. Johnny, despite his lower social status, maintains innocence. The joke critiques how wealth and respectability mask moral failings that genuine working people might lack.