The Wasp — 1879 — page 417: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains primarily text rather than political cartoons—it's a serialized story titled "Phases of History" by Sarah Morse, presented as satirical fiction in *The Wasp* magazine. The narrative appears to be a comedic domestic drama involving characters named Nat, Mr. Briggs, Flora, and others engaged in theatrical quarrels and misunderstandings. The humor relies on Victorian-era social conventions: disputes over propriety, servants' conduct, and genteel pretense among the middle class. Without identifying specific historical figures as caricatures, the satire seems directed at general human foibles—pretentiousness, marital conflict, and social climbing—rather than specific political events or public figures. The page is primarily literary rather than visually satirical.