He came from the sea , and at his coming the ghostly dream-child fled , nevermore to lure my wife away from me with its exciting cry . Therefore I look upon him and love him as my first-born . VI . THE BROTHER WHO FAILED The Monroe family were holding a Christmas reunion at the old Prince Edward Island homestead at White Sands . It was the first time they had all been together under one roof since the death of their mother , thirty years before . The idea of this Christmas reunion had originated with Edith Monroe the preceding spring , during her tedious convalescence from a bad attack of pneumonia among strangers in an American city , where she had not been able to fill her concert engagements , and had more spare time in which to feel the tug of old ties and the homesick longing for her own people than she had had for years . As a result , when she recovered , she wrote to her second brother , James Monroe , who lived on the homestead ; and the consequence was this gathering of the Monroes under the old roof-tree . Ralph Monroe for once laid aside the cares of his railroads , and the deceitfulness of his millions , in Toronto and took the long-promised , long-deferred trip to the homeland . Malcolm Monroe journeyed from the far western university of which he was president . Edith came , flushed with the triumph of her latest and most successful concert tour . Mrs. Woodburn , who had been Margaret Monroe , came from the Nova Scotia town where she lived a busy , happy life as the wife of a rising young lawyer . James , prosperous and hearty , greeted them warmly at the old homestead whose fertile acres had well repaid his skillful management . They were a merry party , casting aside their cares and years , and harking back to joyous boyhood and girlhood once more . James had a family of rosy lads and lasses ; Margaret brought her two blue-eyed little girls ; Ralph 's dark , clever-looking son accompanied him , and Malcolm brought his , a young man with a resolute face , in which there was less of boyishness than in his father 's , and the eyes of a keen , perhaps a hard bargainer . The two cousins were the same age to a day , and it was a family joke among the Monroes that the stork must have mixed the babies , since Ralph 's son was like Malcolm in face and brain , while Malcolm 's boy was a second edition of his uncle Ralph . To crown all , Aunt Isabel came , too -- a talkative , clever , shrewd old lady , as young at eighty-five as she had been at thirty , thinking the Monroe stock the best in the world , and beamingly proud of her nephews and nieces , who had gone out from this humble , little farm to destinies of such brilliance and influence in the world beyond . I have forgotten Robert . Robert Monroe was apt to be forgotten . Although he was the oldest of the family , White Sands people , in naming over the various members of the Monroe family , would add , `` and Robert , '' in a tone of surprise over the remembrance of his existence . He lived on a poor , sandy little farm down by the shore , but he had come up to James ' place on the evening when the guests arrived ; they had all greeted him warmly and joyously , and then did not think about him again in their laughter and conversation .
Robert sat back XXXXX a corner and listened with a smile , but he never spoke .
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