Life — April 9, 1891 — page 5: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Page 221: "He Was a Soldier" This page features silhouettes illustrating various social scenarios, likely from an early 20th-century Life magazine. The title "He Was a Soldier" suggests commentary on military service and its aftermath. The accompanying dialogue excerpts ("The Tryst Discovered," "Fangle" and "Cumso") appear to reference romantic entanglements and social embarrassment. One snippet mentions a man promised to meet "his first wife in heaven," implying remarriage or infidelity complications. The silhouettes depict domestic scenes—couples in conflict, figures in formal dress, and what appears to be social awkwardness. This likely satirizes post-war adjustment challenges for returning soldiers or broader marital/social complications of the era. The page also includes "Spring Shades," a poem by R.H. Titerington about seasonal renewal, contrasting with the somewhat darker domestic humor dominating the page.