The Wasp — 1888 — page 509: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* contains three distinct literary pieces rather than political cartoons: 1. **"Ben's Story"** — A first-person narrative by a dog describing his experience rescuing a woman (Celia) from drowning and subsequently witnessing her marriage to a man who mistreated her. 2. **"A Cracked Up Place"** — A poem about a California girl who endured hardship and heartbreak. 3. **"He Stood Up"** — A story about a legal case where a man's character is questioned; the cross-examination reveals he's a habitual drunkard who attempts to bribe witnesses with money. The page functions as satirical social commentary through narrative rather than visual caricature—critiquing domestic abuse, legal corruption, and alcoholism in contemporary society. The moral lesson emphasizes how character flaws expose themselves under scrutiny.