The Wasp — 1893 — page 309: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains several distinct satirical stories and illustrations rather than a unified political cartoon: **"The Duel"** and **"The Escape"** are narrative pieces depicting romantic/dramatic episodes—a duel over a woman and an elopement scenario—rendered as Victorian melodrama with accompanying illustrations. **"A Bargain in Overcoats"** (top right) appears to be a consumer satire, showing a clothing salesman's pitch with humorous illustrations of ill-fitting or unsatisfactory coats. The remaining sections—**"A Footful Fit,"** **"Like the Paper on the Va—,"** and **"Yes, Too Much Like Paper"**—contain brief comic vignettes with matching illustrations, likely depicting everyday social absurdities or domestic humor. The page lacks overt political commentary; instead, it offers general social satire targeting romance, commercialism, and middle-class pretensions typical of late 19th-century American humor magazines. The specific historical context of publication would clarify any topical references.