The Wasp — 1891 — page 489: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising and literary content** rather than political satire. The central illustration shows two figures in Victorian dress discussing mistletoe—a woman appears shy or demure while a man gestures toward her. The accompanying poem "No Mistletoe in Mine, Sir!" uses mistletoe as a metaphor for romantic/sexual entanglement. The verses warn against deception in courtship, cautioning that beneath holiday traditions, a woman risks losing her reputation through compromising situations. The surrounding advertisements (liquor dealers, insurance companies, pianos, business colleges) are typical of *The Wasp*'s revenue model. The poem's moral—skepticism toward romantic advances and concern for women's propriety—reflects Victorian-era anxieties about courtship and female virtue.