Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-04-02
HARRY's BRAVERY.
A LSsson on the Meaning OF
True Courage.

A LSsson on the Meaning Of
= True Courage.
Ny tptherv.s ;. physician Of good
practice ina wealthy quarter of Phil
were 1pcAh'dscd by him to live out Of
doors IS much as possible. We played
the national game. rowed, belonged to
n weH-equippcd private gymnasium,
and were hale and hearty accordingly;
but especially did we prize the spring
vacation which was always spent at
our grandfaeher's farm, o. beautiful
spot in tho Juanita valley, shut in by
hills, and warmed by tho sunshine.
which always seemed to us to shine
especially bright on our annual visit,
Us if to make up for the cloudy and
stormy weather OF March. p
At the time OF which speak, the
authorizations before starting were
cspecit1ty Joyous. Harry, Carl and
Francis, aged respectively eleven. four
teen ana +sixteen, had nftcr. earnest
efforts in, their school work been
promoted each to the class above his
former rink, and were in consequence
proud and happy. though tired 1.
Royal by name, junior in . we'll
known New England college, working
steadily in the course, was not un-
willing to spend a week or two in
quiet, searching the wcll-storcd
library which had the best that three
generations of book lovers could buy
on its shelves, and before whose
cheery open fire we gathered at even
ing for stories and counsel from older
ind wiser minds
We packed our bags, took our rods
fcr trout fishing was often good, even
in early April, in n wcll-stocltcd brook
that ran along willow -fringed banks il
the south pasture-and boarded the
train. At the station the nircd man
met us with "a pair of Morgan horses
than which I do not remember to have
seen better from that day to this, and
we were soon at the hall door. shaking
hands with grandmother and grand
father, and, to our pleasant surprise,
with Aunt Celia, who, unexpectedly to
us, was nt..home. She was a widow,
having lost her husband in the Mexi-
can war, and was n teacher Of modern
languages in n girls private school in
southern New York. She was one Of
those rare natures that the heart in
ssinctively trusts, and no one of the
many grandchildren hesitated about
telling Aunt Cecilia his or her trout bios,
always confident that something would
be done toward making the rough
place smooth or gaining tho object
sought.
Carl and Francis were just at the
ugc when fcats Of daring were de-
light to them. Harry was Of a natur-
ally timid nature. modest and lacking
sometimes in confidence. and SO was
often urged on by the other two, when
he shrank from attempting anything,
by such expressions us Don't be n
coward, Harry!' "A girl could do
that" which. by such a sensitive spirit,
were felt more than blows of the lash
would be. When was by. tho boys
would not indulge in these trials Of
strength or endura nee, but in my alb
scnce I knew they hurt his tender feel
ings by their taunts, though really
they did not intend to. A boy looks
for what he calls courage in his play
mate. and, if he does not see what ap-
parently corresponds to his own, he
thinks him a coward. while the braver
of the two may really be the more diff
6dcnt and shrinking one.
1t was Saturday afternoons; we were
to leave Monday morning, and had
gone to the post Office to mail a letter
to our father, telling him to expect us
Monday noon. Behind the barn was q
large oak tree from whose trunK
long branch ran horizontally toward
the shed roof though at considerable
distance above it. Tho boys had been
pitching quoits near the tree, and. hav-
ing finished the game, looked about
for some more exciting sport Francis
thought he saw it, SO he climbed the
tree. -crept out on the limb, hung by
the arms n moment and then dropped,
with something of jar, to be sure, but
safely, on the roof, where he sat with
n satisfied look. He called to Carl to
follow him. Carl, though unwilling to
try it, was still more unwilling to ac-
any superiority Of his older
brother in that line, SO he, too climb bed
up, crept out, and, when he had found
what he thought was n good place,
and had called out two or three
times: Fran, shall strike all right?"
dropped and was happy. Then they
both called to Harry: Come on, HAL"
but he, overcome by the fear he had
felt that they would fall while attempt
ing it, refused to make the trial
When they began to speak about what
"a girl could do" grandfather came
out of the back door, where he had
been n silent spectator of the whole
affair, patted Harry on the shoulder,
assuring him that he'd more sense than
Carl and Francis together, and bade
the climber come down at once.
Grandfather was a man of few words,
and they obeyed Nothing more was
said. returned soon after. We had
tea as usual and adjourned to the
library, where genial fire of hickory
logs warmed md lighted the room.
and grandfather sat in
their armchaira en each SHE OF the