The Wasp — 1893 — page 178: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two satirical pieces from *The Wasp*, a San Francisco-based humor magazine. **"The Old Maid's Diary"** mocks unmarried women and their preoccupations. The narrator describes encounters with vain women obsessed with cosmetics, fashion, and beauty rituals—using excessive makeup, hair treatments, and clothing to appear younger. The satire suggests unmarried women are frivolous and self-deluded about their prospects. **"At the Telephone"** presents five cartoon panels showing a man's changing expressions during a phone conversation, progressing from cheerful greeting ("Hello!") through confusion and alarm to resignation ("The hussy! She's calling my son!"). The joke implies an inappropriate female caller—likely a younger woman—contacting the man's son, causing paternal dismay. Both pieces reflect period attitudes toward women's vanity and sexuality.