The Wasp — 1893 — page 257: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising** for San Francisco businesses, with two satirical dialogue pieces inserted. The main cartoon "In Touch with the Times" depicts a domestic scene where a husband questions his wife about her eligibility for remarriage, implying he's considering divorce. The satire targets contemporary anxieties about **women's economic independence and changing marriage customs** — the joke being that a woman who has "kept lots of it" (money) from a previous marriage is desirable, suggesting financial security now matters as much as romantic love in matrimonial decisions. The surrounding text exchanges ("His Early Training," "A Candid Lover," etc.) offer cynical commentary on courtship, faith, and relationships, typical of *The Wasp*'s satirical approach to social hypocrisy of the era.