The Wasp — 1889 — page 214: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains several short satirical pieces and a central cartoon titled "A Plausible Excuse." The cartoon depicts a social scene with well-dressed figures, likely mocking Victorian-era courtship or social etiquette. The surrounding text pieces—"A Coward," "A Sharp Child," "A Modest Request," and "Too Much Good"—are brief satirical dialogues critiquing social behaviors: cowardice, precocious children, photographers' requests, and excessive virtue. The longest piece, "Oh, Why?" offers editorial commentary on contemporary novelists who portray heroes committing dishonest acts, questioning why literature romanticizes such behavior among "noble and high-minded" characters. It's social criticism targeting literary trends of the era. The page concludes with "The Treachery of the Pun," a humorous anecdote about wordplay. Overall, the content reflects genteel social satire typical of 19th-century American magazines.