The Wasp — 1880 — page 29: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features an engraving of mountain sheep in a rocky landscape, labeled "ASIATIC MOUNTAIN SHEEP." The accompanying text describes an anecdote about "William," a well-known but unnamed character noted for "invariably calm and equable temperament." The story involves William dining with a friend, where a waiter spills soup on him. Rather than react angrily, William calmly requests the waiter work more carefully. Later, when the waiter repeats the offense, William again responds with patience—despite the waiter's repeated rudeness. The piece appears to be satirizing extreme patience or stoicism, using the mountain sheep image perhaps metaphorically to illustrate a person of stubborn, unmovable composure. The exact identity of "William" remains unclear from this page alone.