The Wasp — 1880 — page 282: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This two-panel cartoon by Robert Brook depicts the Smirkins family—apparently a recurring satirical character in *The Wasp*. The left panel shows Miss Smirkins at a London storefront advertising "Excisable Offences" and "Last Few Days," suggesting she's shopping during a clearance sale. The caption notes she "can't imagine why the passer-by smile at her so." The right panel shows Mr. Smirkins on what appears to be a seaside platform, confronting someone with a gun: "Who's there? Speak, or I fire!" The satire likely mocks the Smirkins family's pretensions and awkward, comical behavior while traveling abroad. The specific references to "excisable offences" and his aggressive posture suggest they're portrayed as foolish, overly suspicious, or socially oblivious tourists.