The Wasp — 1891 — page 225: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising and announcements** for San Francisco businesses (insurance companies, folding beds, belting manufacturers, etc.), typical of late 19th-century magazine filler. The main **cartoon** shows two elegantly-dressed women at what appears to be a social gathering. The caption reads: "WELL, HARDLY— Amy—Is it true that your engagement with Mr. Hunker is broken off? / Maud—No; you can see for yourself that I am still in the ring." The joke plays on **double meaning**: "in the ring" suggests both an engagement ring (jewelry) and being an active boxer in a ring. It's a mild society satire mocking women's gossip and the superficiality of upper-class romantic entanglements, treating engagement like a competitive match rather than genuine affection.