The Wasp — 1889 — page 370: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration depicts a domestic scene where a woman (Adelaide) sits at a writing desk while a man (Adolphus) stands nearby. The caption reveals the joke: Adelaide burns all her letters from Harry, a "rising literary man," fearing their correspondence—particularly with other celebrated authors—might be published and damage her reputation if discovered. The satire mocks both literary pretension and Victorian social anxiety about privacy. The "wise precaution" ironically suggests that prominent literary figures' intimate correspondence was so valuable (or scandalous) that it risked public exposure. This reflects period concerns about authors exploiting private letters for publication, a real practice that threatened Victorian respectability and personal privacy during an era of growing literary celebrity culture.