Evening star., 1902-03-15
CL0SE-RANGE HEROES
HOW TERRY STOOD READY TO
PROVE HIS BRAVERY.
But Somehow the War Was Over Be
fore His Chance
Came.

Written for The Evening Star.
There Is an old and disagreeble saying
| that no man is a hero to his wife: but be-
Heve there IL not one woman in thou
sand who does not think the man she loves,
particularly If he is her husband or her son,
| capable OF any act of heroism ever per-
| formed-if he only had an opportunity to
prove 1t.
| I know one very tinlid, small, drab-col-
| ored gentleman whose wife Is so thorough
| 1y convinced that he Is only waiting
| chance to take his place among martyred
| heroes that she PAGES the floor whenever
! she hears the fire bells ring, and peers out
| Of the window In the anguished expectancy
! that an ambulance Is bringing him home.
| He Is so brave! she walls. He will be
| sure to rush into that burning building to
rescue somebody at the risk of his own dear
| lifer'
| No one else has the slightest fear that
| such fate may overtake her husband
| But she takes large drafts of prideful COM
| fort between fires, at the thought of his
| intrepid daring.
! Every woman is at heart | emona.
] She loves him for the dang !; he has
| passed. And if he has been compelled by
| fate to be a clerk at ribbon counter and
| has never met a greater peril than a notice
| that his services were no longer required,
| she is none the less certain that there is
| enough heroism smoldering in his breast to
| astoniSh the world
| That tremuous. fearful thing woman
! calls her heart thrills and glows at the
| name of courage She may revere good
| ness and glory in strength, but she wor-
| ships bravery. and as 1t Is not given her
| to love a man deficient In this quality, she
| finds way out Of the difficulty by ascrlb-
! ing to him that and any other virtue that
she may wish him to possess without re-
| gard to what he really may be- When
| man marries pretty girl his friends Won
der what in the world can she find to ad-
| mire in him. But she knows-and that is
enough.
| If the invisible laurels which love pro-
vides might be revealed, we should all be
| surprised to see how many wear them.
What If nature sometimes chooses poor ma
! terials. and siaps her clay into the shape
/ Of men with careless hands? Above and
| around nature is that divinity which keep
| for those who miss the other gifts of life,
! the recompenSe of love.
| The world judges man by the height Of
| the wall he builds around himself, but the
| woman OF his heart loves him better for
the homely and family side she sees. 1t IS
| a JOY to darn the stockings for the climb
| ing feet of genius, to know his tastes, his
| simple preferences and fads to be the con-
| fidant Of his everyday life. To see
| the real face which l am sure is the best;
/ to hear the real voice, which is the tender
! est; to know the real heart that loves and
| hates and aches and may not make confess
| sion save to her.
! But this refers to public men. l started
/ out to speak of humber ones-the army of
| the would ey-could-and with them
their advocates. the mothers and wives:
| And. talking of mothers, reminds Of
| Mrs. Doran and her faith in Terry.
| You Know Mrs. Doran.
| Possibly you do not recall Mrs. Doran.
| She lived in a little house that had been
painted by the frosts and shines Of half
century. in a color more beautiful than a
! fpfo A clio
| is purple trumpets at the window and she
told me, quite in confidence. that the fairies
| blew upon them to awaken her at dawn.
However that may seem to you 0 have
never for a moment doubted tt), she GER
| tainIy had excuse for keeping that bat
tered old bugle hanging on her wall.
most disreputable old instrument swung
| by faded tassel above st. Peters picture.
One day when she was sitting quite alone
went in to visit her, with my mind df-
vided between thoughts of her creamy cot
tage cheese and a promised story about an
| Irish fairy. l was destined to get neither
| that day, however, for a stray beam Of
| the western suddenly came in the wee
| bit pane of glass she called her window
| ard began to play about the bugle.
| asked her whose 1T was. somewhat eau
! tiously, as / felt that it mistake to
give it to St Peter when Gideon was the
| trumpeter: but she said 1t was not for a
saint at all: it just belonged to Terry
'Terry's 1t is. darlint," she said, in her
and bravest lad in tn world an ready to
| prove it
There was a challenge in her voice. and
| lier head in its ruffied cap nodded vigor-
| ously.
| He never had a chance. had Terry she
continued He war younger than tn rest !.
| an fearsome wild tn rough gossoons his
| brothers. and they laughed at him He's
| a coward. mother. sez they; an even his
| father war stern an cruel wild him. But
knew what was in his heart. It's
| chanst he wants sez /. It's no sign he's
| a coward becase he won't fight Look at
| Shamus an Danny now, comm home ivry
| hight wild their two eyes black as bog
| wood sez T.
She paused. signing reminiscently.
/ did Terry show them how brave he
| wasp l asked.
His Mother Knew.
| did he? Sure, child, that same was
aisy. TIL neighbors. an all the family said
| tn bye was lackin' in spirit. But his
mother knew: ah. his mother knew! Give
him chanst.' seq l.
| "Well. tn war broke out thin, and father
an Danny an shamus wint at tn first
| call. Terry was crazy to go. too, at first:
az didn't he buy bugle to begin wid and
| practice Hail COlumby an tn Star Span
gled' till he was black in tn face 1t took
| him long time; for he was determined to
play tn tunes properly afore he wint: an
| father an tn byes war in tn thick iv it
| down south. Thin Shamus was killed"
| Her old eyes grew misty. and she muir
| INJURED blessing under her breath
! Did Terry go them? I asked
He was going to. was Terry 'Whin T
| get there, seq he, I'll put tn hull thing
down. but jest as he was ready to- start.
| what did tn war do but stop itself, an
father and Danny came home'
But what did Terry do to prove his
/ bravery? asked with childish insistence
whist. dearie. ivrything. Wasn't he 90
in to put stop to tn COINS on. himself
old tunes at tn ward meetin's"
| Give me me old army bugle' seq he:
| w!d ring in his brave voice. An know
In tn lad as | do tn fearless look in tn
| eyes fv him fairly makes me cry.'
| What did he do?" + asked
Sure. dariint.' replied the heros mother.
| Haven't been tellin' yeT'