The Wasp — 1891 — page 291: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertisements** with one satirical illustration and essay. **The Cartoon:** "The Modern Maiden" depicts a woman and man in conversation. The caption quotes the woman asking a suitor to make a decision about marriage, then states "Only one word will suffice" and his response: "Evelyn—Well, then, speak!" This is a **gender satire**. The joke mocks the "modern" independent woman of the era (likely 1880s-1890s) by suggesting she's so indecisive that even when given a simple yes-or-no question, she rambles. The man's exasperation and her elaborate clothing suggest critique of contemporary women's behavior or pretension. **The Essay** "Soliloquizing" by E. Ellsworth Carey nostalgically defends "good old days" against modern degeneracy, using similarly gendered commentary about wives and household management.