The Wasp — 1881 — page 454: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily text-based commentary rather than a cartoon. It discusses the "Revised Edition" of the New Testament, critiquing various proposed changes to the translation. The satire targets religious debates of the era, mocking what the author views as pretentious scholarly disputes over biblical interpretation. References include criticism of the "New Version" advocated by some clergy, and mockery of "Sophia Sparkle," described as a correspondent who sells epistle extracts to newspapers. The piece also lampoons a California official's objection to translating "hades" as "hell," treating the controversy as absurdly overwrought. Without visible illustrations on this page, the satire operates through rhetorical jabs at religious pedantry and the self-importance of both clergy and self-appointed literary critics of the period.