The Wasp — 1887 — page 471: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page presents a Christmas greeting illustrated with allegorical imagery. A luminous angelic or divine female figure hovers above, radiating light, while below a diverse group of children and poor people gather, looking upward expectantly with the repeated plea "Come In! Come In!" The elaborate decorative text lists various charitable sources—"Jewels," "Golden Palestine," "Asia's General Stores," "Western Prairies," and "Islands of the Sea"—suggesting global generosity. The composition satirizes Christmas charity: the ethereal promise of abundance and Christian virtue dangles above the needy masses below, who remain physically separated and dependent on others' benevolence. The satire likely critiques the gap between Christian ideals and actual material relief for the poor.