The Wasp — 1879 — page 322: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* presents Act III of "Baruch Kowski, or Le Juif Polonais" ("The Polish Jew"), a three-act play adapted from French specifically for the magazine by Salmi Morse. The content shown is dialogue from a courtroom scene titled "The Dream," featuring a Chief Judge and other legal figures. The satire appears to target legal pretension and absurdity—characters debate the "ringing of bells" and dreams as evidence, with judges making convoluted pronouncements about justice and propriety. Without additional context or visible illustrations, the specific political targets remain unclear. The play's title suggests possible anti-Semitic stereotyping common to 19th-century American satire, though the exact satirical intent requires clearer identification of the depicted figures.