The Wasp — November 15, 1879 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily text rather than a cartoon. It's a serialized story titled "Phases of History: Not Generally given in Detail," written by Mr. Salmi Morse for The Wasp. The narrative concerns Josiah Martin's domestic troubles—specifically his wife's infidelity and his own questionable financial dealings. The story appears to be satirizing middle-class hypocrisy and marital discord of the era. References to "the mangle woman" and working-class characters suggest social commentary on class distinctions. The tone is mordant and sarcastic, exposing the gap between respectable appearances and actual behavior. The detailed, gossipy narrative style was typical of satirical magazines using fictional scenarios to critique contemporary social conventions and morality.