The Wasp — 1879 — page 565: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Wasp* presents a serialized story titled "Phases of History: Not Generally given in Detail," written by Salmi Morse. It's primarily **text-based fiction rather than a political cartoon**. The narrative appears to be a satirical dialogue involving characters named Nat, Flora, Briggs, and others, discussing topics like travel, property, and domestic life with humorous exchanges. The writing style suggests social satire—poking fun at bourgeois attitudes, business dealings, and interpersonal dynamics of the era. Without visual cartoons on this particular page, the satire operates through dialogue and narrative irony rather than caricature. The piece likely commented on contemporary California society through fictional scenarios, typical of *The Wasp*'s approach to social criticism during this period.