Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-05-05
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MY HERO.

When / was born my mother died,
and Douglas, then a lad of seventeen,
was sent to the naval academy at An
napols. He went into the navy few
years late. rs mldshipman, and was
sent on a four years cruise.
Jenny, my sister, and | received
boxes from him from China, Australia,
India, with strange, costly toys, and
Joking, afiectionate letters, which we
priced more than the gifts.
We talked necessarily n. school Of
my brother, the captain" and be-
lieved that the adventures Of Sinbad
were tame beside those which we
imagined for him. He was, in short,
the one heroic and brilliant though un-
seen, figure IN our commonplace lives,
upon which we hung all the romance
and fancy which came tou from other
sources.
My father died when | was boy Of
ten. Captain Douglas came home IN
time to see him before he died. | re-
member being led with Jenny to IA
theirs bedside, where q tail, bearded
man stood, who put his arms about us,
and with "A broken voice, said
Before God, father, promise you
that they shall be my care"
He was compelled to join his ship
Us soon as the funeral was over. The
next week Jenny and ] were removed
to the town Of Clinton, where we were
placed at different boarding schools.
For nine years this invisible brother
was our guardian angel. Nothing that
money could supply was wanting to us.
His letters, always full of sailors roll
licking fun, were also tender as a wom-
ans.
There was strange sensitveness, too,
in his affection that might have be-
longed to mother
Whatever schools we were in, he al
ways insisted that we should be free to
pass one day in the week together; and
on that day we usually compared his
letters or messages, and brought him
before each other in yet more heroic
colors.
There was II certain mystery about
him, too, which added to our romantic
affection. Why did he never come to
see usG Surely in rine years he could
have had A furlough.
We begged him in our letters to
come, or at least to send us his photo
graph; but instead came only playful
excuses
"All very handsome men are mod
est, | said to Jenny, with the authority
of college senior, land my recollec-
ton Of brother Douglas is that of II
man of superb presence and the high
est type of manly beauty"
At last the day came when | was to
graduate, and Jenny to leave her school
in the same town. 1t was impossible
for Douglas to remain wholly separated
from us. We both wrote to him.
Surely" said, you will no longer
refuse to come to us. You have been
father, brother--all to us. Let me show
you to my friends.
| tried to tell him how noble he
seemed to me; how / made him the
model of my own life 'Come to us
| urged. " Help me to be a man like
yourself.
Jenny inclosed note, which | read
and had half mind not to send SO
simple and girlish did it seem to me.
''Dear brother" she said, eve have q
right to be with you. God has given
us TO each other. You are alone, and
feel that YOU need the love We have for
YOU. Let us, al least, make home for
you; you have done everything for
us.
As if Douglass could need poor little
Jenny and me thought of the Wis
est and best men, the most beautiful
women in the country; as only n court
in which he moved like prince.
The answer came almost Immediate
w. Douglas could not he very distant
1t was, oddly enough, addressed to Jen
ny. He spoke to her as II she We're a
woman.
You are right, little sister, SO the
letter ran, "Ineed more than you know
home and the love which you say yor
have given me. | had fully resolved
never to show myself to you; but you
words have moved me strangely, 1t l.
rs if God spoke to me through them
| will come TO YOU tomorrow.
was wild with triumph. | was ful
then Of boyish conceit, and the desire
to appear well in the eyes of the world
The commencement day was momen
tuous epoch in my life, All Of my col
lege companions and lady friends would
he there.
had spoken to them NIL az my
brother. Had described his eScellen
ces. and his nobleneos of character
When told them he was coming they
all desired an introduction.
II expect him, ! said to my mos
intimate friend, "in the noon tram. !.
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