The Wasp — 1880 — page 58: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two items: a political cartoon and an article called "Barker's Fast." **The Cartoon** ("Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland?") depicts two rotund military or political figures operating a large screw/press mechanism that crushes military equipment, weapons, and debris beneath it. The German caption references the famous patriotic poem "Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland?" The imagery appears to satirize German militarism or wartime destruction, suggesting that German nationalism mechanically destroys/grinds up military resources and soldiers. **"Barker's Fast"** is a humorous story about a grocer named Barker who attempts an extended fast for health reasons. The article describes his struggle to maintain the fast while his wife tempts him with food, and his eventual medical consultation about fasting's effects.