The Wasp — 1889 — page 27: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon from *The Wasp* satirizes conflict between two prominent women over a scandal. Two elegantly dressed women quarrel over flowers—representing scandal or reputation—while a child (likely representing the public or a political figure) sweeps up the debris with a broom. The wasp character mediates, suggesting both women share blame equally and proposing they "toss up for it." The satire critiques how society's elite women engage in public disputes over reputational matters, treating serious scandals casually as something to gamble over. The child figure implies these disputes affect broader society or vulnerable parties. Without specific dates or names visible, the exact scandal referenced remains unclear, but the cartoon mocks aristocratic women's petty quarreling over social standing.