The Wasp — 1892 — page 288: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical advice column called "The Old Maid's Diary" with accompanying illustrations of an older woman dispensing commentary on San Francisco society and dating. The main satire mocks San Francisco women—particularly those seeking marriage—as foolish and difficult. The diary writer complains about women who are "gushing, sentimental, hysterical, and the cold, calculating, and the inclined," suggesting they're either too emotional or too mercenary. She ridicules contemporary courtship practices and women's romantic expectations as unrealistic. The secondary section "WHERE TO FIND QUAIL" offers hunting advice, contrasting the metaphorical "hunting" of unsuitable men with actual game hunting—a crude analogy equating women-seeking with sport. The satire reflects early-20th-century misogynistic attitudes dismissing women's concerns about marriage and respectability.