The Wasp — 1877 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a satirical advice column titled "Answers to Correspondents," a common format in 19th-century publications. The small illustration shows two figures at a desk—likely representing the magazine's editor responding to reader inquiries. The column mocks various topics through humorous responses: dismissing Chinese factory workers as replaceable, ridiculing someone's literary aspirations, offering absurd domestic advice (like boiling dog eggs), and making light of settlement disputes. The tone is cynical and dismissive throughout. At bottom, a separate piece titled "On a Roman Nose" contains satirical verse about nose appearance and pride—typical period humor. This reflects *The Wasp's* satirical style: using reader queries as vehicles for social commentary and sharp-tongued mockery of contemporary manners and pretensions.