The Wasp — 1894 — page 228: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily **advertising and directory listings** for San Francisco hotels, restaurants, and services (circa early 1900s). However, there is one **cartoon illustration** titled "THE CAUSE OF HER FRIGHT" depicting a woman startled by what appears to be a ghostly or skeletal figure. The accompanying dialogue references: - A father's ghost frightening his daughter - Mrs. O'Flaherty (identified as "keeper of a Cleanliness-loving boarding house") - Patrick (likely a male resident) - A dropped trunk and arguments about financial responsibility The satire appears to mock **boarding house drama and domestic disputes**, suggesting the "fright" involves financial obligation or social scandal rather than an actual supernatural event. The joke relies on the contrast between the woman's dramatic reaction and the mundane, earthly cause of her distress.