Life, 1916-03-02 · page 41 of 44
Life — March 2, 1916 — page 41: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This story uses allegory to critique wartime conscription policy. A village master demands its "best" citizens—poets, artists, builders, musicians—for war, and women cheerfully comply. When these men die, he demands the "second best," whom women again accept. Only when the "weakest" are called do the women object—but then turn on these remaining men with contempt, saying they must be despised *for surviving*. The satire targets the bitter irony of home-front attitudes: society celebrates sacrificial deaths but despises those unfit for combat who remain. The women's final logic—that survivors deserve scorn for not dying—exposes the cruel emotional burden placed on the rejected, and perhaps critiques how societies valorize war deaths while simultaneously devaluing those deemed "weak" enough to stay behind. This reflects genuine WWI-era anxieties about masculinity, conscription, and how civilian populations processed massive casualties.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A SHORT WIFE, BUT A MERRY ONE The Last Stand ICE there was a village that dwelt in the midst of a fertile valley, And the war came. The master of the village assembled all the people, and said: “The best man of every kind here must go; the best poet, the best builder, the best writer, the best artist, the best musician,” And the women cheered. Then these stepped forward. went to the war and were killed. The master of the village assembled the people once more, and said: “Of those that are left the best must go; the best poet, the best builder, the best writer, the best artist, the best musician.” The women cheered. And the sec- ond best went and were killed. Then the master of the village said: “There are no strong men left. Now the weakest must go.” But the women murmured. said: “We have given the best. But the weakest must remain to comfort us now in the only way possible. For all that is left to us now in this world is to despise them for remaining be- hind.” They They AM piel SSeS sees yon fy us oe earn, tn keeps skins fair in spite of wintry winds The soothing, healing medica- tion in Resinol Soap which is so helpful in clearing poor complex- ions, is equally dependable for protecting delicate skins from the havoc of winter's wind and cold. To use Resinol Soap regularly for the toilet is usually to make sure that one’s complexion will come through the cold weather unharmed, and that the hands will be kept free from redness, roughness and chapping. If you already suffer from painful and unsightly chapping, a little Resinol Ointment will usu- ally afford complete relief. 4 Ointment are sold by samples, free, write to Resinol,’ Baltimore, Md. Resinol, Soa all druggists. Discriminating m. like" Resinol Sha Stick becaus soothes and refreshes the face, while supply- ing @ rich, creamy, non-drying lather. The Secret Session r is plain that the only way in which all the people can determine whether it is proper for a small part of them to hold a secret session is to have all the people informed of what happens at a secret session. Only in this way can they tell whether or not it ought to be secret. Here, however, is a paradoxical di- lemma, because if all the people are informed, then the session is no longer secret. But if the session is to be kept secret, then again it must be evident that we are not a democracy, the es- sence of which is that all the people shall govern their own affairs. But it may be affirmed that all the people, when they elect a few repre- sentatives to govern them, do this with a previous willingness to permit those representatives to have secret meetings when they so desire, and, therefore, the secret session is only a wheel within a wheel and a necessary part of democ- racy. The answer to this is that all the people, or even a majority of them, have already vetoed the secret session. If, in any particular instance, they ap- pear to tolerate it, this is only because they have never been worked up enough collectively to create the ma- chinery necessary to stamp it out. For it is true in every democracy that the people as a whole tolerate many evils of which, if they could spare the time from going to baseball games, fighting among themselves, earning their daily bread, etc. they would soon rid them- selves. The Top of Your Head can be Luxuriantly Covered baldness replaced ms with a natural growth of hair—if roots are not dead— landruff removed, or grey hair arrest- ed, by our Physical Culture and local treatment for the scalp. Write for information Grace-Mildred Culture Course Dept. 33, 624 S. Michigan Blvd., Chicago comicbooks.com