The Wasp — 1892 — page 36: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous column written from the perspective of an unmarried woman commenting on contemporary social issues. The illustration shows a caricatured elderly woman with exaggerated features. The column satirizes several targets: San Francisco society, the Salvation Army (praised for their reform work), tennis culture among wealthy men, and newspaper coverage of athletics. The author mocks masculine vanity, noting how newspapers sensationalize male athletes while overlooking women's accomplishments. There's also social commentary on marriage expectations, religious hypocrisy regarding morality, and the author's own status as a spinster. The tone suggests The Wasp's typical irreverent approach to mocking both high society pretensions and public figures, using the "Old Maid" persona as a vehicle for pointed social criticism.