The Wasp — 1891 — page 340: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page combines three distinct satirical pieces: **"More Gold Wanted"** (top left) is a serious editorial essay by A.L. Fuller arguing that California's gold supply should fund state operations rather than private enterprise. The ornate initial "G" introduces economic critique about currency, banking, and whether miners deserve their wealth. **"Drifting Spars"** (middle right) contains gossipy social commentary about Dublin street characters—a bootblack, a roofer, and a milliner—mocking their pretensions and dialect. **"Always the Gentleman"** (bottom) is a comic dialogue sketch depicting a husband's exaggerated gallantry toward his injured wife, satirizing performative Victorian masculinity and etiquette as absurdly theatrical. The accompanying sketch shows an interior domestic scene illustrating this final piece. The page exemplifies The Wasp's mix of economic analysis, social gossip, and domestic humor.