The Wasp — 1879 — page 328: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The page features a satirical illustration labeled "A Pious J—clergy" depicting a clergyman with an exaggerated nose driving a carriage pulled by a wasp. The cartoon appears to mock religious hypocrisy—specifically criticizing a clergyman who preaches piety while pursuing worldly comfort (the carriage). The accompanying text contains anecdotes mocking various social pretensions: a husband claiming he knocked down his wife while merely "standing upon his dignity," and commentary on colonial administrators in Fiji. The "Literary Review" section critiques a missionary society publication about Fiji, suggesting its inhabitants are duped by false promises. The satirical focus is on exposing moral contradictions between stated principles and actual behavior among the clergy and colonial authorities.