The Wasp — 1877 — page 109: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains the text of Chapter VIII ("My Brother's Sin") of a serialized story, not a political cartoon. The narrative concerns Ruth Waveford and her family, including discussion of St. Ethelred's Church and its organist. The story appears to be a Victorian-era melodrama dealing with themes of social respectability, family honor, and moral transgression (suggested by the chapter title "My Brother's Sin"). References to church life, organ playing, and concerns about appearances indicate this is genteel social satire targeting middle-class pretensions and hypocrisy. Without accompanying illustrations visible on this page, the satirical point relies on the serialized narrative itself rather than visual caricature.