The Wasp — 1894 — page 392: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a man receiving a letter labeled "McEwen's Letter" while holding his hat—a posture of mourning or shock. The accompanying poem confirms the letter's "death," treating it as a significant public loss. The satire concerns a deceased correspondence or editorial piece by someone named McEwen, apparently published in *The Wasp*. The poem suggests McEwen's writing was notable enough that its passing warranted mock-funeral treatment—a common satirical device ridiculing either the end of a regular column or mocking someone's failed attempts at wit or influence. Without additional historical context about McEwen or this publication date, the specific target remains unclear, but the satire aims at someone whose writing contributions the magazine viewed as either ironically important or deserving mockery.