The Wasp — 1890 — page 475: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains several unrelated satirical pieces and humor sections typical of 19th-century magazine format: **"Two Californians"** by Joaquin Miller tells of two old California settlers and their dispute over property/fortune, ending with a moral about reading virtue in nature rather than in written records. **"The Unexpected Guest"** (small cartoon, upper left) appears to show social embarrassment, likely depicting an awkward visitor arrival. **"A Christmas Jingle"** is seasonal verse with an accompanying decorative illustration. The remaining sections—"What Woman Always Forgets," "Multum in Parvo," "How to Form a Library," and "The More Effective Member"—are humorous dialogues and anecdotes mocking contemporary social pretensions, literary affectation, and domestic/legal absurdities. The satire targets middle-class vanity and hypocrisy rather than specific political figures.