The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-01-07
Ghildren's Column.
A REAL HERO.
BY NJ. E. WINSLow.

sentimental little angel, nor yet top,
ball, and marble boy of the story-books.
He is an American boy, awake to all that
is going on in the world, and having his
own word In the questions of the day, as
they are freely discussed in his hear
ing He has been reading French history
lately and has temporarily enthroned Ma
poleon Bonaparte on the pedestal of his
idolatry.
None of your milk-and-water good
les for me, he was saying the other day.
| wouldn't be minister that's afraid
to fight, for the world nor merchant,
to do nothing but make money, like my
father" (Artie is not particularly care
full In the spending of all the money he
can get hold of. "No, nor statesman
either, to pour over musty old books, at
tend committees, and write documents.
The copy-book is just as wrong as usual
when it says that the pen is mightier
than the sword the sword, or rather
the rifle, is the thing for me. I'd like to
be real hero like Napoleon or some of
those French Marshals, and conquer CT
ties and empires and make name to be
remembered.
Artie, let me tell you about French
hero of whom l read to-day-a real hero,
according to my way of thinking. l had
rather have my name written where his
is than have it all over the walls of pal
aces, as the imperial BIS were in France
before the last revolution ?"
Where is it written p
L will leave you to judge when you
have heard my story. Vincent de Paul
was French boy, born abont 1876 at
Pony, In Gascony. His parents were very
poor, and the Franciscan friars at Aries
taught him to read and write. He studied
afterwards at the College of Toulouse.
In 1905 he was captured, in company
with some other scholars, on a VOYAGE
from Marseilles to Narbonne and carried
captive to Tunis He was here sold as
slave and owned by three successive mas
ters, the last of whom proved to be re-
negade Christian from Savoy The beau
tiful behavior of Vincent under the blows
and suffering to which the slaves of those
days were subjected so won upon this
man that he renowned his false faith,
gave his slave his freedom, and in com
pany with Vincent, escaped from Tunis.
both reaching France in 1907 He soon
went to Paris and was first chaplain to
the ex-Queen Margaret of Valois, and
then tutor and chaplain in the family of
the Master of the Galleys at MarseiiIes.
In this position he became much in
terested in the condition of the convicts
who were compelled to toll at the galleys,
chained together, exposed alike to heat
and cold, badly clothed and worse fed.
He succeeded in getting himself appoint
ed Almoner-G General Of the Galleys and
was thus enabled to do a great deal for
the amelioration of their unfortunate con-
dition. One day he was visited by
woman who, with streaming eyes, rep
resented to him that her husband was for
some trifing crime condemned to the
galleys for two years, during which she
and her six little ones must starve. She
desired him to intercede with the author
tiles for pardon, but knowing this was
impossible, he offered himself in the poor
mans place, saying: I have no wife or
children depending upon me [ know by
experience what the life Of a galley-slave
is; I can better stand it than he can.
The offer was accepted, and for two years
the noble Almoner cheerfully performed
the hard labor and endured the sufferings
and privations due to the convict for
whom he had sacrificed himself There
is no record of how the man showed his
gratitude, but think Vincent must have
conquered his wickedness and won an
empire over the hearts of his wife and
children better worth winning and hav-
ing than all the victories of your hero,
Napoleon"
Yes, said Artie, rather as if he was
convinced againt his inclination. "He
certainly was hero. What became cfI
him afterwards?
In 1927 he went back to Paris, and re-
fusing to be made much of at the court
and among the great ladies and gentle
men, he devoted himself to visiting hos
pitfalls, asylums, &C., and finding that no
one ever cared for the poor little orphan
babies, established the first Founding
Asylum ever known. You see, Artie,
my hero is as real hero as yours, only
you and look at heroes from different
point of view; you think it heroic to de-
stroy life and cause unhappiness my
heroes save life, relieve misery, and es-
pecially give themselves, even as the
Greatest Of all Heroes did, in self-sacri-
fee for others. Depend upon it, that
man is the truest hero who the most