"
"Oh! you ran from another clap," said Julia, laughing
till her dark eyes flashed with pleasure, and
shaking her head until her glossy hair fell in ringlets
over her shoulders; "you will never make a hero,
Charles."
"Do you know any one who would have behaved
better, Miss Warren?" said the young man angrily.
"Yes--why--I don't know. Yes, I have heard of one,
I think," answered Julia, slightly colouring; "but,
dear Charles, excuse my laughter," she continued,
holding out her hand; "if you are not a hero, you
are very, very, good."
But Charles Weston, at the moment, would rather
be thought a hero than very, very, good; he,
therefore, rose, and affecting a smile, endeavoured
to say something trifling as he retired.
"You have mortified Charles," said Miss Emmerson,
so soon as he was out of hearing.
"I am sure I hope not," said Julia, with a good deal
of anxiety; "he is the last person I would wish to
offend, he is so very kind."
"No young man of twenty is pleased with being
thought no hero," returned the aunt.
"And yet all are not so," said Julia, "I hardly know
what you mean by a hero; if you mean such men as
Washington, Greene, or Warren, all are surely not
so. These were heroes in deeds, but others may be
equally brave."
{Greene = Nathanael Greene (1742-1786),
Revolutionary General; Warren = Joseph Warren
(1741-1775), Revolutionary war hero, killed at the
Battle of Bunker Hill}
"I mean by a hero, a man whose character is
unstained by any low or degenerate vices, or even
feelings," said Julia, with a little more than her
ordinary enthusiasm; "whose courage is as natural
as it is daring; who is above fear, except of doing
wrong; whose person is an index of his mind, and
whose mind is filled with images of glory; that's
what I call a hero, aunt.
Pages:
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44